808 Broadway
by DarkGuardain221b
Summary: Aurora is in need of work, and sees a housekeeper advert in the Times Newspaper. When she goes for the interview she wasn't expecting to meet Dr. Laszlo Kreizler; a man who is both respected and ridiculed in the field of psychology. However, she manages to attain the job and makes a good impression on the doctor as well as his colleagues. But her employment at the house leaves her
1. Interview

**Aurora's POV: **

Nervousness filled my insides as my cab started slowing down. That meant that I had reached my destination; I wasn't completely prepared for what I was about to step into in all honesty. "283 East Seventeen Street, Miss." My cab driver said as soon as the carriage had reached a stand still. "Thanks." I replied as I got out and handed the man what I owed him for the ride. He took off down the street, leaving me on the sidewalk. The bright August sun was blaring down on

me from the clear blue sky as I took in my surroundings. It was far from the neighborhood I'm currently living in, that's fore sure. Three days ago I sent a letter inquiring about the housekeeper position at this very house. Luckily the job was still up for grabs, especially since I was looking for work and the pay was generous. I took a deep breath and let it out before walking up the steps of 283, hoping that this interview would go well. Once I reached the door I rang the

doorbell, which I was able to hear on the doorstep. A few moments passed before I heard any movement within. When the door opened I was greeted by a very tall man with dark skin. "Good morning, Miss. How may I help you?" He asked with a slightly puzzled look in his eyes. His voice sounded deep, yet it wasn't intimidating of frightening. It was a bit soothing in an odd sort of way. "Good morning, Sr. I'm Aurora Perish, I believe I was requested to come in

regards to an interview pertaining to the housekeeper position." I replied with a small smile. "Oh, yes... of course. Right this way, Miss. The doctor will be waiting on you in the sitting room." He said as he opened the door wider for me to enter the home. The place looked beautiful compared to the apartment I currently live in. The place had dark wooden floors and lovely wallpaper. It was clear that some well off people live here; I honestly felt rather out of place. I followed the

man through the foyer and down a hall before we reached a doorway. "Miss Perish has arrived for the interview, doctor." The tall man said in his deep timber. "Please, show her in." A male voice replied. It wasn't as deep as the dark skinned fellow, but deep still compared most voices. "The doctor will see you now." He said as he stepped out of the way so I could enter the sitting room. Again, it was beautifully furnished and decorated. But it was obvious that there wasn't any

females present in the home from the style of the place, but I didn't mind. It looked rather... cozy. "Thank you, Cyrus." The male voice I heard before now had a face. He had dark hair and dark eyes. A beard and mustache accentuated his handsome features also. He was standing in the middle of the study with his hands in his trouser pockets. The clothes he was wearing were black, all apart from the white buttoned down shirt underneath his waistcoat. "Hello, I'm doctor

Kreizler. It's a pleasure to meet you Miss. Perish. Your resume is quite sparse, however... I believe you might be exactly what we're looking for." He said with a small smile that was quite charming. 'Doctor Kreizler... I've heard that name before.' I thought inside of my head as he offered me a seat so we could proceed with the interview. I sat there on on the chair he offered me to sit on and answered his many questions the best I could. Most of them were about my

cooking abilities and or experience, but his questioning soon took a turn that I wasn't expecting. I felt like I was being examined in a way I was only familiar with at home. A particular type of questions that let know where I'd heard of doctor Kreizler and what his profession is. "You're an Alienist?" I said in a slight questioning tone just in case my train of thought was mistaken. "Yes, I didn't assume you knew who I was when I introduced myself." He said with slightly

furrowed brows. His dark eyes had an intrigued gleam to them, as if there was a low burning fire behind those orbs of darkness. "Your name sounded familiar, but I wasn't sure who you were until you started questioning me as an Alienist would. You see... my brother is going to university to become one himself." I replied. "And you've been asked questions of the like by him, I presume." He said as another small smile spread across his face. "Yes." I replied with a little smile of

my own. A few moments of silence passed between the two of us, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. "Well, Miss. Perish... how soon can you start work?" He asked, and I was a little surprised. I wasn't even aware that the interview had ended. "As soon as you'd like me too, doctor Kreizler." I replied. "Tomorrow morning will suffice." He replied with another one of his smiles. I couldn't help. It notice that his smiles didn't last very long, but that didn't dampen the impact of

them. They made me feel comfortable, and perhaps that was his intention. I thanked him for his time as well as taking me on as an employee. He called on Cyrus to show me out afterwards and don't think I could have been any happier than I was at that moment. "Have a good day, Miss. Perish." Cyrus said as I stepped out of the front doors of 283 East Seventeenth Street. "You too, sir. I expect we'll be seeing a lot of each other in the coming days." I replied, and he

just nodded once before he closed the doors behind me. After walking down the steps and onto the sidewalk, I whistled for a cab. A few seconds later one rolled up in front of me. I told the cab driver to take me to 380 Lafayette Street. The ride home seemed to take longer even though it was the exact same distance I traveled this morning. When I got home I walked through the bakery my parents use to own before going up to the apartment above. Sadness filled my heart as I

looked at the empty shop, so I quickly made my way upstairs. When I entered the little kitchen I found my brother Henry studying at the table with a cup of coffee next to him. "How did the interview go?" He asked without even looking up from his book. "It went well," I replied as I poured myself a cup if coffee and sat down across from him. "You'll never guess who I'm going to be housekeeping and cooking for." I said before sipping the strong black liquid that was in my mug.

"Who? The Vanderbilts?" He replied with an amused laugh. "No, doctor Laszlo Kreizler." I said, and he snapped his head up too look at me with wide eyes. "You aren't serious?" He asked. "I am. If you don't believe me then come to work with me tomorrow morning and see for yourself." I said with an amused smile on my face. He brought his hand up to his face and rubbed his upper lip with his forefinger. I knew he was considering the idea I had spoken of, but he soon made

a decision on the matter. Her decided not to go along with me to see if I was in fact, telling the truth. "I believe you, Aurora. But... if it's possible I'd very much like to meet him." He finally said as he moved his hand from his face and reached for his coffee mug. "I'll do my best. Now, if you'll excuse me... I'm going to get out of this silly dress." I said as I stood up and walked out of the kitchen. I figured Henry needed some time alone to focus on his studies, and talking about doctor

Kreizler wasn't going to help him. I changed into a pair of brown trousers and a white buttoned down shirt. Dresses have always been something I absolutely hate, but my mother always made me wear one when I was little. Sometimes I wonder when it will ever be socially acceptable for a woman to dress in men's clothing. Perhaps I'm ahead of my time, like father often told me whenever I did something that was against the social standards. At that thought a smile spread

across my face. Once I was dressed I grabbed the current book I was reading and walked into the small sitting room. Eventually Henry left for university, which left me all alone. I didn't mind being alone most of the time; however, there has been an alarming increase in crime as of recently. But I expect it to only get worse instead of better as time goes on. I pressed my thoughts to the back of my mind and focused on the words on the pages of the book I was holding. As the day went

on, I hadn't realized I skipped lunch until my brother came through the door. I was just happy I had stopped reading in time to cook us something for dinner. "It smells amazing in here. What am I gonna do when you're at work?" He said with a small smile as he took his hat and coat off. "You'll just have to fend for yourself." I replied with a small smile of my own. The two of us ate as he told me about his day at university. Apparently he had several big tests coming up in the next

couple of weeks, and I wished him luck. I really hoped that he was able to make a successful career being an Alienist. I just wish that our parents were still around to see how far he has come. After dinner I washed the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen while he went to his room to study. Deep down I wished our lives had turned out a bit different, but we're still better off than most people in the world. At least we aren't living in tenements where sickness and poverty love to

dwell... where violence and abuse fester. Not that those things can't happen in a middle class or wealthy family. The point is that I'm grateful for the had Henry and had been dealt even though it wasn't perfect. When I was finished I walked into the sitting room where I found my brother drinking a glass of whiskey as he read one of his psychology textbooks. 'I guess he got a little bored of being in his room.' I thought inside of my head as I joined him on the sofa. "Freud or Breuer?"

I asked him curiously. "Breuer." He replied without looking up from his textbook. I silently sat there and cleared my mind for a few minutes. My stomach was fluttering with anxiety as I thought about my first day of being a housekeeper. I really wanted to impress doctor Kreizler and whomever he might have living or visiting his home. It wasn't just the money that mad he me what to be the best I could be. Perhaps it was pride or wanting to allow my brother the

opportunity to meet the doctor. Either way, I was nervous as a bull in a fine China shop. To ease my worry filled mine I cracked open my book once again and lost myself in the world of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. When the clock chimed I looked up to see what time it was. "Ten o'clock. We better retire for the night or we won't be of much use in the morning." I said, and Henry agreed. After making sure all of the lights were off, we went to out separate bedrooms. I changed into my

nightgown and climbed into bed. Thankfully there was a nice cool breeze blowing in from the window. The heat of August seemed as if it would turn into the cool comforts of September soon. I think the whole city was ready for a break from the blistering heat. I ended up staring up the ceiling for a few minutes before drifting off into a deep sleep.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I really hope you guys like the story so** far!


	2. Cyrus and Stevie

**Aurora's POV: **

I woke up extremely early so I could get dressed and have a bite to eat before heading to work. Henry had a much more sleepy start than I had, but I think that's because I was feeling nervous. Nerves can wake a person better than a good cup of coffee sometimes. "I'll see you later. Try not to burn the place down while I'm gone." I joked. "I'm not making any promises." He replied through a yawn. We said our goodbyes and I headed out into the brisk morning air. A thin

fog blanketed the ground. The gas lamps that lined the street were still lit, making my surroundings feel a bit eerie. Due to the early hour, I desperately hoped there was a cab driver near by. I placed my forefinger and thumb into my mouth and whistled. To my relief, the sound of horse hooves came towards the spot where I was standing."283 East Seventeenth Street, please." I told the cab driver as I climbed aboard. During the ride I was way to occupied with my

thoughts to enjoy the misty early morning. All I did was think about the plans I created inside of my head for the day. The cab ride seemed to go quicker than usual but I wasn't at all surprised. After giving my driver what I owed him I, I headed inside through the back door with the key Dr. Kreizler had given to me yesterday. I quietly opened the door and gently closed it behind me, making sure it was locked before taking my jacket off. Today I wasn't wearing a dress and

hoped that the doctor wouldn't mind. I had on a pair of dark green trousers that were being help up by suspenders and a white buttoned down shirt. I pressed my thoughts to the back of my mind and started getting breakfast started. After brewing coffee, I fried steak to go with the eggs I had prepared. There wasn't any bacon or sausage in the ice box they had, so I desperately hoped they weren't saving the steak for some important occasion. A few minutes later a young boy

with brown hair walked into the room. He was tall and skinny. The clothes he was wearing suggested lots of work in the stables. "Who are you? I thought a Miss. Perish was to be the new housekeeper." He said in a confused sounding voice. "I am Miss. Perish." I replied in an amused sort of way. "Oh... oh... I'm sorry for assuming you were a man." He said, blushing in embarrassment. "It's fine, I get mistaken for being a man a lot. I'm fairly use to it now." I replied with a

small smile before offering him some coffee. "I'm Stevie by the way." He said as he poured some of the steaming black liquid into a cup. "It's nice to meet you, Stevie. You may call me Aurora if you'd like." I replied. He nodded and hummed slightly after taking a sip of the coffee. He left the kitchen and headed outside to no doubt tend to the horses. Then the tall black man I met on the day of my interview came into the room. "Good morning, Miss Perish." He said in his deep

voice. "Good morning. Please, call me Aurora." I replied with a small smile. "Well, in that case... call me Cyrus." He said before pouring himself a cup of coffee. After informing me that the Doctor rises at eight o'clock, he too left the kitchen and went outside. I finished cooking and prepared a tray to take to Dr. Kreizler. There were footsteps on the stairs and I assumed they were his, so I waited. I wanted to make sure he was in the dinning room before I went barging

in. I took a deep breath and took the tray with me out into the hall and into the sitting room, which lead into the dinning area. "Good morning Doctor." I said with a small smile as I walked through the doorway. I found him sitting in an armchair putting his shoes on. To be honest, I thought it was a little odd, but I didn't say anything. "Good morning, Miss. Perish. Would you be able to help me button my shoes?" He said with one of his soft smiles. "Of course." I replied. I sat

the tray of food on the dinning table before walking over to where he was seated. I took the metal tool used for buttoning shoes, and crouched down on my knees to do what he asked of me. I wasn't entirely sure why he couldn't do this himself, but I've heard of some wealthy people prefer to be dressed by other people. Buttoning someone's shoes for them was doable; it wasn't like he asked me to put his underwear on for him. I pressed my thoughts to the back of my

mind and focused on the task at hand. "So, I see you've prepared breakfast for us. Assuming you've met Stevie and Cyrus this morning." He said, breaking the comfortable silence. "Yes, I have... on both accounts." I replied with a small smile, glancing up at him only once to find him watching me. It didn't make me uncomfortable like I usually feel when I realize someone's watching me. There was something very different about my employer, and I was actually quite happy

about that. "I do hope the three of you will get along fairly well during your employment here." He spoke as I finished buttoning his shoes. "I have a feeling we'll get along just fine. They seem like nice people." I replied as I stood up and sat the tool I had been using on the ottoman. He then stood up and walked over to the dinning table and took a seat. I uncovered the dish I had prepared and hoped it was good enough. "Steak and eggs," He said, glancing up at me with a

sparkle in his dark eyes. A smile was playing at the corners of his lips as well. "You'll certainly be in Stevie's good books once he seems what you've cooked; it's his favorite breakfast." He said, and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. I told him that if he had any meal preferences to only mention them to me, and I'd be happy to oblige. He said it wasn't necessary, and he believed he's enjoy anything I prepared for them. To be honest it was like a weight had been

lifted off of my shoulders in an odd sort of way. I wished him a lovely day before heading back downstairs to see if Cyrus and Stevie had gotten anything to eat yet. Once I entered the kitchen I found them chowing down like two ravenous ravens. "Miss Perish, this is the best breakfast I've had in a long time." Cyrus said in his deep timber. "Really?" I asked with some surprise. Before I reminded him he could call me by my first name instead of being so formal. "Well, you see... the

last housekeepers we've had haven't been what you might say... good." Stevie said after swallowing a mouthful of steak and eggs. "I'll do my best to change that." I replied with a small smile. After they finished eating, I collected the tray and whatnot from the dinning room. As I walked through there wasn't any sign of Dr. Kreizler, so I figured he had went upstairs to his study. Then I set myself to wash the dishes and clean the kitchen before heading out to do some

grocery shopping. There wasn't much in the ice box or cupboards in the house, and I needed food to cook meals. So I left a note on the kitchen table to let the others know where I had went. I walked out the back door and was going to go to the sidewalk to hail a cab, but Cyrus's voice stopped me. "What's wrong, Miss Perish?" He asked curiously with a hint of worry in his eyes. "Nothing. I was just going to purchase some groceries." I replied. "I can drive you into town. There's

no need to get a cab when there's ready transportation here for you." He said with a small smile. "But will the doctor allow it?" I asked with furrowed brows. I didn't want to get into trouble on my first day of work. He sent Stevie inside to ask the Doctor if it would be alright to use the calash so I could get food to cook meals. "He said it's alright." Stevie said once he came back outside. I followed them towards the stables where Stevie introduced me to their two beautiful

horses: Fredrick and Gwendolyn. Stevie talked about how trustworthy and reliable the horses were. I could tell that he was fairly emotionally attached to majestic steeds, and I couldn't blame him. "Here," Stevie said as he handed a me few cubes of sugar. He told me to feed the sugar cubes to the horses, and I did so. Their snouts tickled my hand as each of them lapped up the sugar with their tongues. After I got acquainted with the beasts, I realized that Cyrus already had

Fredrick attached to the calash. I climbed into the carriage as Stevie climbed into the drivers seat. "You two be careful." Cyrus said before we left the stables and headed out onto the street. The ride was peaceful, but the heat was horrible. Blistering sunlight was beating down on us, and it wasn't even noon yet. When we reached the market I managed to get a good deal of produce, grains, meats, etc. I even had enough money left over to give to Stevie for candy. A smile spread

across his face as he picked out the candy he wanted. Then we quickly went back to 283 East Seventeenth Street to make sure none of the food spoiled. Cyrus helped carry everything inside while Stevie tended to Fredrick. Once everything was put away, I started preparing lunch. If I didn't have to go get groceries I probably would have half finished cleaning the house by now. But I didn't mind the little delay; it allowed me some time with Stevie and Cyrus, and get Mr to know

them better is one of my goals. I didn't want to be working here and not have any friends to talk to. After washing the dishes from lunch, I finally got to cleaning. I did my best to keep out of everyone's way, which wasn't that difficult. Dr. Kreizler kept to his study; the other two spent most of their time outside. 'I wonder what my brother is doing right now.' I wondered. 'Probably studying or hanging out with his college buddies.' I thought as I wiped some sweat from my

brow. I finished the first floor and was preparing to start cleaning upstairs when I spotted a figure standing on the first landing. "There's no need to start cleaning upstairs, Miss Perish. That can be dealt with tomorrow. I received a message from some Friends of mine and they've seemed to have invited themselves for cocktails." He said with a soft smile. I got that he wished for me to prepare some cocktails, and I nodded once to let him know I understood. He

turned and went back upstairs while I dumped out dirty scrubbing water. Then I quickly washed my hands before getting started. I even put it upon myself to make some hors d'oeuvres just in case his guests were a little hungry. I set up the cocktails in the sitting room where Dr. Kreizler informed me he would be entertaining them. I had everything prepared when the shrill doorbell rang. 'This is it. This is my chance to impress his friends. Don't screw this up, Aurora.' I said

inside of my head as I took a deep breath. Either Stevie or Cyrus had opened the door, and I could hear muffled voices in the hall. To say that I'm feeling nervous is an understatement.

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	3. Friends, Cocktails, and Secrets

**Aurora's POV: **

The doctor's friends had just arrived for cocktails, and I was lingering in the kitchen. I wanted them to get settled in before I entered the sitting room with the hors d'oeuvres I had prepared for them. I pulled my pocket watch out and made sure to wait exactly ten minutes before making my move. I returned the time piece in my pocket and picked up the tray of hors d'oeuvres. 'Be calm and

collected, Aurora. This could cost you your job and ruin your reputation.' I thought inside of my head as I made my way towards the sitting room. When I reached the door I stood a deep breath before walking in. A woman with yellow hair caught my attention first. She was wearing a dark colored dress; I couldn't tell if it was dark blue or dark green. The hair on her head was in a up do style, which made her look professional. She seemed to me like he kind of person who takes no bull

from anyone, man or woman. There was something very handsome about her facial features as well. As I moved further into the room my eyes met a man with short black hair and a faint mustache. He was dressed in a black suit with a plum colored waistcoat and black tie. "Ah, Sara... John... I'd like you to meet my new housekeeper." Dr. Kreizler said once he noticed my presence. I sat the tray I had been carrying on the coffee table for easy access. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm

Sara Howard." The woman said as walked towards me. She offered me her hand to shake, and I did so with a small smile. "A man as a housekeeper? I've never heard of such a thing. Perhaps a butler, but never a _male_ housekeeper." John had said. I couldn't prevent the amused smile that was spreading across my face. I glanced towards the doctor, and he seemed to be having the same problem. "That's very simple to explain, John. Especially since Miss Perish isn't a man at

all." Dr. Kreizler said with an amused sparkle in his dark eyes. "What?" John replied with confusion written all over his face. "Miss Perish is in fact female." Dr. Kreizler said as he walked towards John and clamped him on the back in a friendly fashion. "Please, forgive me Miss. I had no intentions to insult you." John said with a worried look in his green eyes. "There's no need to apologize, sir. I'm use to being mistaken for a man. In fact, I prefer it. It makes a long walk home safer

than if one was to assume I am a woman." I replied with a small smile. After we were properly introduced, I left the room to leave the three of them talk and have a nice evening. Dr. Kreizler was explaining to John how some woman masquerade as men to move up in a male dominant work force. When I returned to the kitchen I cleaned up a bit and sat down at the small table. I took a break even though I didn't want to. My nerves were too high string to really relax. When I checked the

time I figured it I should get something started for dinner, but just as I opened the ice box Stevie walked in. "Dr. Kreizler said to not get anything started. He and his friends are going to Delmonico's. He also said you can go home for the night." He said before walking out the back door. I figured he and Cyrus were getting the calash ready to take the three of them to the restaurant. Deep down I was a little relived. If I had to cook for all of them I might have had a panic attack or

something. I rolled down my selves before grabbed my jacket to put it on. Then I walked out the back door myself to say goodnight. "You have a safe ride home, Miss Perish." Cyrus said with a small smile. "Yeah, and I hope we didn't scare you off on your first day." Stevie said as he patted their horse, Fredrick, on his side. "Thanks. Don't worry, it takes a lot to scare me off." I replied with a smile. It was my first day and I was already getting attached to these guys. Maybe it's because

they reminded me of myself in more ways than one. Or maybe it was the way they invited me into their lives. Either way, I was glad to be working here. I was actually looking forward to coming to work tomorrow morning. After saying goodbye to the bourses, Fredrick and Gwendolyn, I walked behind the calash as Stevie pulled the carriage to the front of the house. I hailed for a cab as the doctor and his friends came out of the front door. "Have a wonderful evening. It was a

pleasure meeting you Miss. Howard... Mr. Moore." I said with a small smile as a cab pulled up to the curb. "It was a pleasure meeting you as well, Miss Perish. Hopefully our paths will cross again sometime." Miss Howard said with a kind smile on her face. "Oh, I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of each other if Dr. Kreizler choses to keep me as his housekeeper." I said, glancing towards the doctor who only smiled one of his soft smiles. We said our goodbyes and I told my

cab driver where I wished to go, which was home. 'I bet my brother will be relived that he doesn't have to cook dinner for himself tonight.' I thought as I stared out at the children playing in the streets as well as the passing cabs. Once I reached my destination I paid the driver what I owed him and headed inside. I took my jacket off and rolled my selves up to get started on cooking dinner. A few minutes later Henry came into the room. "You're home already? I thought you wouldn't be

back until late." He said with furrowed brows. "Some of the doctor's friends came to visit him this evening. They're going to Delmonico's, so I didn't have to stay and cook for them." I replied as I started cooking food for the two of us. "Did you get fired?" He asked with a look of disappointment in his hazel eyes. "No." I said, feeling a little annoyed by his question. But I didn't let it bother me too much. Henry sat down at the table and we talked about out days. He talked about his

psychology and biology classes before I told him about my day. It seemed interesting to him, but I figured that insight into Dr. Kreizler's life was the bait that caught his eye, not the cleaning and cooking aspects of my new job. I failed to mention buttoning his boots, because hope would have made something out of it. He would have tried analysing my employer's behavior and I didn't want that. We ate dinner together before he disappeared into his room to study. After I cleaned

up the kitchen, I locked the apartment up. Then I went to my room to read before going to bed. I had a long day ahead of me, but I was excited about it. The morning went by quickly. I found myself at work before I had the chance to fully wake up. But I was able to function and that was enough for me. Not too long after I started making breakfast, Stevie and Cyrus both came into the room. They were still sleepy, so they each poured themselves a cup of coffee. "Good morning,

Miss Perish." Cyrus said. "Please, call me Aurora." I said after wishing him a good morning as well. I had a feeling it was going to take him some time to start calling me by my first name. Once breakfast was finished I served it to them and then headed into the dinning room where Dr. Kreizler was seated. Again, I had to button his shoes. "I hope you didn't mind me sending you home early yesterday." He said, breaking the comfortable silence. "I didn't mind at all. I think my brother

was relieved." I replied. "Why's that?" He asked. "He hates cooking. He'd rather have his nose in a book than standing over a hot stove." I said with a small laugh. I finished with his shoes and found him smiling at me in the soft way he often does. I wondered if that's something he became accustomed to in his dealings with children, or if that was something he did before he even though of being an Alienist. I stood up and he walked over to the dinning table where I placed his

breakfast. This morning I made pancakes topped with honey and fresh fruit. "Enjoy your breakfast, doctor." I said before leaving the room. I walked into the kitchen to find two empty plates and two guys with satisfied stomachs. They praised my cooking once again, which made me happy. I was glad I could make them something good to eat, especially since it was obvious they haven't had good cooking in a while. They went out to the stables while I tidied up the kitchen.

After giving Dr. Kreizler time to eat I headed upstairs to collect his empty dishes. I met him on the landing and he said his goodbyes. He was going to work, and I wished him a productive day. I recalled my brother mentioning that he has an institution for wayward boys and girls. I know Henry would have loved to have a tour of th place. To be honest... he'd probably want an internship there. I wouldn't have minded seeing what the doctor does for a living, especially since I've learned

so much about psychology through my brother's studies. When I returned to the kitchen, I washed the dirty dishes and made sure everything was its proper place. Then I gathered up cleaning supplies. I had the rest of the house to tidy up, because I didn't get around to it yesterday. 'Hopefully I'll be able to finish everything before Dr. Kreizler comes home this evening.' I thought inside of my head. I gathered up all of the rugs and beat the dust out of them in the back yard.

It gave me easy access to the hardwood floors; it made it easier to scrub them without having to worry about shifting the rugs around. I managed to get half of the work finished before it was time for me to cook another meal. Without the doctor being in, I actually asked Stevie and Cyrus what they'd like to eat. After a few minutes of talking they both agreed on something. As the food cooked I sat down at the small table in the kitchen and took a break. My body was starting to

protest against the hard work I had done earlier this morning. It was more annoying than anything, especially since I had so much work left to do. Once the food was ready I let the guys know. The three of us sat at the small table and ate together. It was a great opportunity to get to know them better. "How is the cleaning coming along?" Cyrus asked me curiously before putting a fork full of food into his mouth. "It's going alright. My muscles will definitely be sore and stiff

tomorrow, but I'll soon get use to it." I replied with a small smile before taking a drink of water. "Don't work yourself too the bone. The doctor ain't gonna give you the sack if the whole house ain't clean before he gets home." Stevie said with a look in his eyes I couldn't quite put my finger on. A moment of silence passed between us as we ate the meal I had cooked for us. "I don't mean to be nosey, but... how did you two meet Dr. Kreizler?" I asked them with slightly furrowed

brows. They gave each other a glance that looked as if they had talked to each other with their minds. "Well, you see... Dr. Kreizler is an Alienist and he sometimes sits in on trials." Stevie said. "Not all trials, just the ones that spark interest in him." Cyrus added. They explained to me that Dr. Kreizler had saved Cyrus from being executed. He also saved Stevie from spending life in either prison or an insane asylum. Both of them became members of the doctor's private

at home staff immediately after their trials. It made me a little uncomfortable knowing that the two men I was eating with were criminals, but it didn't change the way I feel about them. 'They're nice people. There's no reason why I shouldn't trust them if the doctor trusts them.' I said inside of my head. They told me many stories about their time with Dr. Kreizler, and it seemed as if they really admire the man. Of course I would too if he had changed the course of my life. Especially

if the alternative was death or prison. But I myself admired him, because he was willing to give me a chance despite the fact that I haven't been employed much. I practically had no references for him to turn to if he wished to find out if I'm a good employee. 'Perhaps that's the reason why I've been pushing myself to work so hard.' I wondered. We finished eating and I cleaned up before going back to work. My body rested enough, and I figured I should finish up the cleaning so I

didn't have to do it tomorrow. So I walked upstairs with a fresh bucket of water to scrub the floors and whatnot. Before I knew it, I was finished. I was surprised that it didn't take as long as I expected. After dumping the dirty scrub water, I took the rugs back inside and placed them on the floors once they were dry. Since I had some time to kill I walked outside in the warm summer air. Golden sunlight was baring down on the earth with some kind of vengeance, but a nice cool breeze

rustled the leaves; it made the heat almost bearable. I brought one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes stories with me today in case I managed to have some free time. I was very glad that I had, because if I didn't I think I would have been bored out of my mind. There was a large tree in the medium sized back yard, and I took upon myself to sit underneath it. I brought the story outside with me and opened the worn pages of The Strand Magazine. Within a few minutes I was completely

absorbed by the world Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created. "Hey, I'm going to pick up the doctor from the institute. Cyrus will be here if you need anything." Stevie said, taking my attention off of the story in my hands. "Okay. Have a safe ride there and back." I replied. He nodded once before turning and fetching the calash from the stables. I got up from my comfortable spot and headed indoors. Sherlock Holmes could wait for later, I needed to make dinner. 'I hope the doctor stays in

for dinner tonight. I don't want my cooking to go to waste.' I thought inside of my head. Once I washed my hands I gathered a large roast from the ice box as well as some vegetables. Even though it was warm outside, it was rather cool inside of the house and I figured a stew would be lovely this evening. I cooked and seasoned the beef after cutting it up into chunks. Then I put everything into a large iron pot to cook the vegetables. I also put in a secret ingredient, which was

sliced apples to give the stew a hint of sweetness. I didn't want the earthy herbs to be too overbearing. While the stew cooked on its own, I started making appetizers. Deep down I had a feeling that his friends would be coming back tonight. I wasn't sure why, but I couldn't shake the feeling. The sound of the front door opening and closing let me know that Stevie had returned with the doctor. A few moments passed and the door to the kitchen opened. "Something smells

delicious!" Dr. Kreizler's deep, yet pleasant sounding voice said. "Thanks, hopefully it tastes that way too." I replied with a small laugh. "I have no doubt that your cooking will be satisfactory this evening." He said. There was a moment of silence that passed between us before he spoke up once more. "Stevie mentioned that you were working hard... perhaps... a little too hard. I assure you that there's no need to push yourself to exhaustion." He said, as I turned to face

him. There was a mixture of emotions in his eyes; there was concern, worry, and a slight hint of amusement in those dark orbs. "You don't have to worry about me, doctor. I'm perfectly fine." I said. He smiled softly and glanced down at the floor for a brief moment before looking back up at me. Before leaving he mentioned that Miss Howard and Mr. Moore, along with a couple other friends of his were coming for dinner tonight. I thanked my gut instincts to make a lot of food tonight

after he had told me that. I continued to cook while I nervously awaited his guest's arrivals. Cyrus walked in through the back door and commented on how good it smelled in the kitchen. He offered to help, and I welcomed his assistance with open arms. "I put Stevie on door duty. I knew you'd be too busy cooking for our friends tonight to be womaning the door." He said as he stirred the stew for me. I thanked him before getting things set up for making dessert after the

appetizers were finished. The fire not door opened and I heard five people enter the hallway. I knew Stevie, Miss Howard, and Mr. Moore were among them. But I didn't know the two newcomers. It made me a little nervous. Eventually Cyrus went to inform the others that dinner was ready. He and Stevie helped me place the appetizers in front of the guests. As we did so I got to see what the other two people looked like... the doctor's other friends. One man was slender with dark

curly hair and blue eyes, while the other was shorter and stouter. His hair was thinning and he had a beard. "Detective sergeants, I'm like you to meet Miss Perish." Dr. Kreizler said, introducing us. The tall man's name is Marcus and the shorter man's name is Lucius. It kinda shocked me when I learned that they're brothers as well. Once the appetizers were served I left the room and returned to the kitchen. Cyrus and Stevie didn't join me, because the doctor told them to stay

in the dinning room. I figured they all wanted to catch up; they're friends after all. I occupied my time by tending to the stew and preparing dessert. However, I kept wondering what two detective sergeants were doing at a doctor's home. My mind was busy making up many different scenarios on how someone in Dr. Kreizler's profession could meet such people, but none of them seemed to fit. 'Stop thinking too much, or you going to burn something.' I said to myself as I turned my focus

back to cooking. After a while I went back into the dining room to collect empty dishes and serve the stew I made. Whilst doing so they gave me several complements on the food, which made me smile. I thanked them before walking into the hall. I closed the door behind me and once again returned to the kitchen. While they ate I poured myself a bowl of stew after placing the pastries I made into the oven. My stomach was growling so loud I'm surprised they didn't hear it.

After letting the dessert cool for a few minutes, I walked upstairs again to collect dishes and serve them. "That stew was delicious, Miss Perish. I've never had anything like it before." Lucius Isaacson said with a small smile. "Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it." I replied with a small smile of my own. I entered the kitchen with more dirty dishes, and I decided to wash them even though I didn't have all of them yet. I just wanted to get most of them finished before too late. The very

last trip I made was to collect their coffee cups. As I left the room I lingered near the doorway. "Well... will you help us or not? We can't do this without you." Mr. Moore's voice said from inside the dinning room. "Give me some time to think about it. Things aren't back to normal at the institute yet." Dr. Kreizler replied. I wasn't sure what they were talking about, but I quietly retreated into the kitchen. It was clear I overheard part of a conversation I wasn't supposed to hear.

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	4. Dr Laszlo Kreizler

**Aurora's POV: **

I was locked away in the kitchen washing dishes for what felt like hours. But the sound footsteps soon caught my attention. 'They're leaving.' I thought inside of my head as I continued doing my work. A few moments later, the door opened and Cyrus walked in. "You look like you need some help." He said as he started drying off the dishes for me. "It's okay, I can manage." I replied. "Nonsense. If you do all of this by yourself you'll be here all night." He said with a small smile on his face.

I thanked him for helping me, but he said there was no need for me to thank him. Stevie walked in and started assisting with the dishes as well. "That was a great meal, Miss Perish." Stevie said with a small smile. "Thanks, I'm glad you liked it." I replied with a smile. "Everyone did. Marcus said he thought he was dining at Delmonico's instead of at the Doctor's home. You're an impressive cook, Miss Perish." Cyrus said. I didn't even bother telling them to call me by my first name. 'They'll call you Aurora when they're ready.' I said to myself. The three of us ended up finishing the dishes around eleven o'clock, and I was feeling completely drained. I never made a large meal like that in a very long time, but that's because my brother and I don't really eat much. "Well, I'll see you all tomorrow morning.

I better get a cab before it's too late. Thanks for the help by the way." I said as I wiped some sweat from my brow. "That won't be necessary. Cyrus will take you home." The Dr. Kreizler said as he walked into the room. He was wearing his usual black attire. "Yes, sir." Cyrus said after the doctor gave him a slight nod. Stevie followed the tall man out through the kitchen door to ready the horses. "That's very kind of you, doctor." I said as I rolled my selves down. "It's the least I can do. You made my friends and I a lovely meal this evening. I don't think Lucius stop talking about how delicious everything was." He said. He chuckled lightly as he looked down at the floor, and a small smile spread across my face. It was a pleasant sound; I had a feeling he didn't laugh or chuckle as often as he should. "It was my pleasure." I replied.

One of his eyebrows rose slightly as he looked up at me. It was peculiar, yet slightly charming in an odd sort of way. But I think the soft smile that was on his handsome face enhanced the charm of his peculiarities. Not to mention the warmth that was flickering behind his dark eyes. We stood there in comfortable silence until Stevie stepped in to tell us that the carriage was ready. "Goodnight, Miss Perish. Have a safe trip home." He said with a small nod. "Goodnight to you as well Dr. Kreizler." I replied before I turned and grabbed my jacket to leave. I didn't hear him walk away, so I assumed that he stood there and watched me go. The cool night air felt wonderful against my skin. It was a whole lot different than being in that hot kitchen.

I climbed inside of the carriage after Cyrus sat up top to man the horses. Before I knew it, I was on my way home. During the ride I suddenly wondered what the doctor and his friends were talking about over dinner. It was obvious that they had asked Dr. Kreizler to do something, but god knows what. 'You shouldn't be so concerned over your employer's private business. Especially when you've just started working for him.' I said to myself, but I couldn't help the curiosity that burned within me. Sooner or later I knew I'd know more about what they were up to. The carriage started to slow down and I quickly came back to reality. "Thank you Cyrus." I said as I stepped out of the carriage and onto the sidewalk. "You're welcome, Miss Perish." He replied with a small nod in my direction.

We said goodnight to each other, but he waited until I was safely inside. When I reached the apartment I found my brother sitting in the kitchen, face down in one of his school books. I had to repress a little laugh as I locked the door behind me. I quietly walked towards him and grabbed his sides. "Boo!" I shouted, and he nearly fell out of is chair. "You jerk! I could have gotten hurt!" He said as he ran a hand through his curly brown hair. I was too busy laughing to make a coherent sentence. Eventually he started laughing as well, and pulled me into a tight hug. "I'm glad you're home. I was getting worried about you." He said before letting me go. I took my jacket off and collapsed on the sofa before I told him how my day went. All I really did was cool and clean. It was relatively boring work, but at least the ones I worked around were interesting.

"Did they like your cooking?" Henry asked curiously as he rubbed his tired eyes. "Yeah, they did. A couple of his friends wouldn't shut up about how much they liked it." I replied happily, and he smiled. "Looks like mom taught you something after all." He said, gently messing up my hair. I lightly punched him on the arm and he chuckled slightly. After a few minutes he said he was going to bed, and I followed suit. I made sure the place was locked up before heading into my bedroom. I took a warm bath before drying off and putting my pajamas on. Once I got into bed, I fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up the next morning I could barely function. I didn't get enough rest, but that was nothing a good cup of coffee couldn't cure. After the breakfast was made and the doctor left for the institute, I took a few minutes to actually wake up.

"Still tired from yesterday, huh? Cyrus asked as he took a seat at the small kitchen table. "Is it that obvious?" I asked before taking a large gulp of coffee from my cup. "At least you don't have to clean today. I bet buttoning the doctor's shoes was a little more difficult than usual." He said with an amused smile on his face. "You have no idea. You should have seen the look on Dr. Kreizler's face." I replied with a slight laugh. Cyrus and I drank coffee and talked while we waited for Stevie to return. To be honest I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to do today, because all of the cleaning was finished with. 'Maybe I can enjoy the weather and get some reading in.' I thought as I finished my fifth cup of coffee. We stepped outside in the stifling August heat once all of the coffee I had made was gone. Dark storm clouds were building in the east, and a cool breeze was starting to blow. "Looks like a storm is brewing." Cyrus said, breaking the comfortable silence. "Hopefully the rain cuts through this humidity." I replied and he agreed.

Stevie returned and we all got inside before the storm finally came. Rain quickly filled streets with water. Thunder cracked so loudly that it shook the windows, and lightning lit up the entire sky. All three of us just sat in the kitchen listening to the chaos that was happening outside. "Anyone want a cup of tea?" I asked no one in particular. Cyrus and Stevie declined my offer, but I went ahead and made myself one. Once the tea was finished brewing I poured myself a cup and cracked open the Sherlock Holmes mystery I brought with me. The weather outside helped put me in the mood for a good mystery. By the time I had finished reading it was lunch time, but I didn't have to look at the clock to know that. My stomach was growling and I'm sure my friends were hungry as well. I stashed my book away in my jacket pocket, which was hanging on the coat hanger near the door. Then I got started cooking. The storm had let up a bit, but the thunder was still rumbling outside. As we ate I heard the front door open.

The three of us looked at each other with confused looks before anyone spoke up. "I'll see who it is." Stevie said through a mouthful of food. He gulped down what he had been chewing with a quick swig of root beer before walking into the hallway. Cyrus and I quickly finished eating before stepping out into the hallway ourselves. To my surprise, Dr. Kreizler was standing there soaked to the bone. "What happened?" Stevie asked with a hint of concern in his voice. "I made the mistake of walking home." The doctor replied, but the look on his face indicated that he wasn't annoyed or angry. To be honest he looked quiet amused by his current predicament. Dr. Kreizler asked me to assist him with his wet clothes, and I complied to his request. After picking out an outfit for him I had to help take his shirt off. The white fabric was clinging to his skin and it was even a little difficult for me to get it off of him.

Once his upper body was exposed, I couldn't help but notice how muscular he was. He was in very good shape for being a doctor and an Alienist. But then my eyes wondered towards his right arm. It was smaller than his left one and slightly malformed. He looked like a beautiful bird with a broken wing. "It's a long story. Perhaps... I might even tell you about it one day." He said in his soothing, deep voice. It was obvious he caught my staring, and I felt guilty for doing so. "Sorry, doctor... I didn't mean to stare." I replied awkwardly. When I looked up at him he was looking at me with one of his soft smiles that I've grown to love. "There's no need to apologize. It's only natural to stare at something different from what we're used to seeing." He replied as his dark eyes studied me. "Being different is better than being like everybody else. Otherwise everyone would be extremely boring." I said.

He laughed slightly and nodded in agreement. After helping him dry off a bit, I helped him put his dry clothes on. Some bits were awkward and made me blush; I just desperately hoped he didn't notice. I was glad he was so kind and sweet about the whole thing. Some men would have taken advantage of the situation, made inappropriate jokes, or a combination of the two. "Is there anything else you'd like me to do, doctor?" I asked him curiously. "No. I think that's all for now, Miss Perish." He replied, yet again with one of his soft smiles. There was a warm glow behind his dark eyes as well; it made me feel a little less nervous. I nodded once before gathering his wet clothes and leaving the room. When I entered the kitchen I found Stevie and Cyrus washing the dishes and cleaning up. I thanked them for helping out, and they both said there was no need for my to thank them. I just wanted them to know that their help was appreciated.

While they put the dishes away, I got started on cleaning Dr. Kreizler's clothes. Once I was finished I hung them up to dry on an inside clothes line since it was still raining out. I didn't want to have to wash then twice. All of a sudden a bright ray of sunlight poured through one of the windows. It happened so suddenly that it was almost blinding. "Come on, there might be a rainbow of we're lucky." I said as I headed towards the stairs. Stevie and Cyrus slowly followed me into one of the rooms on the uppermost floor, which just so happened to be Stevie's bedroom. I opened the curtains so we could see outside. The droplets of water that fell from the sky were shimmering like diamonds in the golden sunlight. Apparently we had good luck, because right over Stuyvesant Park there was a beautiful rainbow.

"That certainly is something beautiful." Cyrus said. "You can say that again." Stevie replied. "I hate to ask, but... what are you three doing?" Dr. Kreizler's voice broke the comfortable silence that had settled upon us. "There's a rainbow over the park." Stevie replied. He moved out of the way, indicating that Dr. Kreizler should take a look himself. The doctor closed the book he had open in his hands before entering the bedroom himself. Cyrus moved out of the way so Dr. Kreizler could stand next to me at the window. The concern that was on his face melted away when he saw the beautiful arch of color we had been looking at. The sunlight that was coming in from the window allowed me to see the true color of Kreizler's eyes. They weren't black like I was beginning to believe they were; his eyes were a beautiful shade of brown I've never seen before. I quickly turned my gaze towards the rainbow so he didn't catch me staring again. I think I'd feel absolutely mortified if he had.

But I found myself looking at him regardless of what my mind was telling me to do. His eyes sparkled and a smile was on his face. There was something so beautiful and pure in that moment; I foolishly wished that it would never end, because he looked so peaceful and calm. It was if all of his worries had melted away. He blinked several times before the serene moment passed, and the churning sea behind his brown orbs returned. He caught my gaze and I felt my face heat up with embarrassment. 'You were staring again.' I thought and mentally slapped myself. I thought he was going to say something about it, but the smile on Dr. Kreizler's face only broadened a little. "I think the rain has stopped. Why don't the four of us go for a walk in the park?" The doctor suggested, and none of us turned his wonderful offer down. A nice walk in the park sounded lovely.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I'm sorry for the long wait. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!**


	5. A Walk In The Park

**Aurora's POV: **

All four of us left the house and walked towards Stuyvesant Park together. It wasn't too far from where Dr. Kreizler lives, so there wasn't any point to take a carriage to our destination. The storm had blew a few small twigs and leaves into the streets and sidewalks. A lovely cool breeze still blew, but the golden sunlight was breaking through the dark gray clouds. It seemed to give everything a heavenly glow. Once we reached the park Stevie and Cyrus went off on their own, but I stayed by the doctor's side. I've never been to this park so I didn't know it quite as well as they did. I didn't want to get lost and make a complete fool out of myself. Birds were chirping happily, which put me in an even better mood. We walked for a few minutes in comfortable silence before I broke it. "Your walking stick is beautiful, doctor.

Is that a starling carved in the handle?" I said. He stopped walking and so did I before he lifted his walking stick so I could see it better. "Yes. It is. You really have an eye for spotting details." He said with a soft smile. "Thanks, I... I guess." I replied with a shy little laugh, which made his smile grow slightly. We continued walking and a comfortable silence settled down upon us as we did so. The green grass was sparkling with raindrops, which looked like diamonds in the brilliant sunlight. If everything wasn't wet I would have loved to have sat down on one of the benches and soaked in my surroundings properly. The two of us stopped by a beautiful patch of flowers. Dr. Kreizler bent over slightly and closed his eyes as he breathed in their heavenly scent.

After he opened his eyes and stood up straight, a butterfly caught his attention. He watched the orange and black winged creature until it was impossible to see. Seeing the doctor like this made my heart happy. I can't really explain why though. Once again, he caught me staring and I felt myself blush. 'You really need to stop staring at him. He's a human being, not some specimen in a glass jar.' I said inside of my head. But the soft smile on his face, and the warm look in his captivating eyes told me he didn't mind my staring. 'His eyes are so beautiful.' I thought as we looked at each other for what felt like forever. The sound of Cyrus's voice interrupted our little staring competition, and I felt myself blush again. I felt absolutely foolish and silly for my embarrassment, but I couldn't help it. For some reason it felt as if Dr. Kreizler and I were having some kind of private conversation without really thinking or saying anything.

"We should be getting back, sir. It looks as if it's going to start storming gain." Cyrus said, gesturing towards a wall of dark clouds that were moving in. "Right you are Cyrus." Dr. Kreizler said before we started heading back to the house. Half way there it started to thunder and the cool breeze got stronger. As soon as we were safely inside, rain started pouring from the sky once more. Stevie had studying to do. The doctor insists on the young boy to have proper schooling to which Stevie complains about constantly. But I found it very considerate on the doctor's part. Cyrus went to his room as well, and I figured I'd be spending my time alone in the kitchen. I was getting ready to sit down at the small table when Dr. Kreizler spoke up. "Come with me, there's something I'd like to show you." He said, catching me off guard for a second. With furrowed brows I followed him to a small, yet still decently sized bedroom.

Book sat on the dresser and bedside table. The bed was made as well. It looked as if the room hadn't been occupied for some time due to the thick layer of dust that was covering everything. I couldn't help but notice that the place has a feminine touch as well, and figured this was where a former employee must have stayed. Possibly a housekeeper at the time. "No one has stayed in here for some time, but I think it would come in handy for you. That way you can sleep here instead of going back home at late hours of the night. Only if you want to... of course." He said, studying me with his brown eyes. The thought of staying late like I did when I cooked for his friends gave me a little anxiety. However, if I could have just come in here and spent the night then I wouldn't have been so tired the next day. "I'll think about it." I replied after a few minutes of silence.

"If you do chose to take me up on my offer, you'll have to clear the room out." He replied, and I nodded once to let him know I understood. I thought that was all he wanted to show me, but I was wrong. We went upstairs to his study. I was amazed at the amount of books he had lining the walls on shelves. "Stevie told me you liken to read, so I thought I'd give you full access to my personal library. Obviously, most of them are medical and psychological books but... I think you might find something." He said, and I couldn't help the smile that was on my face. Nothing made me more happy or excited than having an unlimited amount of information at an arm's length away. After I thanked him for his generosity, he offered to let me look around. I took my time inspecting the vast amount of book spines, covers, and contents of his personal library. I found a small book of poetry by Edgar Allan Poe, and tucked it under my arm before moving on to the next shelf. I found a second book on poetry, but I couldn't quite make out the author's name on the cover.

The writing had faded away; it looked like a very old book, but it too peaked my interest. I turned my back towards the shelves as I read a few pages to see if I'd see myself reading it. When I decided that I did, I looked up. It way my turn to catch him staring at me. He blinked a couple of times before settling his pen down on his desk. "Have you found something that interests you?" He asked as he took off his round spectacles and sat them on his desk as well. "Yeah, I found two books actually." I replied as he got up from his desk and walked towards me. I handed them to him so he could see which books I chose. I didn't want him to look for the books only to find them missing and think someone stole them or something. "Poetry," He said as a small smile spread across his handsome face. "I should have guessed you were into poetry. Perhaps you and I could have a discussion on it some day." He said with a slight sparkle in his eyes. "I'd like that." I replied with a small smile of my own.

'He has such a cute nose.' I thought, and felt a little bit embarrassed for doing so. I wasn't sure why I suddenly found the shape of his nose cute. Maybe it had something to do with all of the staring I've been doing today. "I... I better start fixing dinner." I said, breaking the comfortable silence. "There's no need, I'm dining at Delmonico's tonight after the opera. My friends and colleagues will be present as well... perhaps... you'd care to join us this evening?" He said. What he said shocked me so much my heart leapt into my throat. Anxiety filled my stomach as well. "Um... I... I don't know. I don't have time to go home and change; I doubt they'll even let me inside if I'm not wearing a dress." I replied shyly. "You've said most mistake you for a man, am I correct?" He said. "Yeah." I dragged out the word a little when I responded. "They why not borrow some of my clothes. They'll be a bit big on you, but that'll work to your advantage." He replied with a broadening smile.

After I thought about it for a few minutes I eventually agreed to his plan. He picked out a suit for me to wear, and I changed in the privacy of his bedroom. The clothes fit perfectly. They were a little lose, but it helped hide my feminine figure wonderfully. I walked out of his room and found him dressed in his opera suit, waiting on me. "You look wonderful, Miss Perish. I think you'll be catching the eyes of every man and women you meet this evening." He said, causing me to blush. I've never been complemented by anyone besides family members, so having him comment on my appearance made me feel... special. Even if I was wearing men's clothing. I just smiled shyly without saying anything, because I really didn't know how to respond. But I assume he understood due to the soft smile that was gracing his face. He called for Stevie and Cyrus to ready the calash, and to make sure the shell had been put up due to the rain. My insides filled with anxiety and nerves as the doctor and I followed behind them. Once we reached the bottom of the stairs I walked into the kitchen to place the books I picked out on the table.

Within a few minutes I was sitting in the calash across from Dr. Kreizler. I didn't know what to expect, because I had never been to the opera before. Deep down I felt as if they wouldn't let me inside even though I was dressed for the occasion. For some reason I feared that someone might notice that I'm a woman wearing gentlemen's clothing. 'Stop worrying so much, Aurora. No one can even see your body shape in these clothes.' I thought inside of my head as Cyrus and Stevie drove us to our destination. The sound of horse hooves on the cobblestone streets eventually calmed my nerves a little. But as soon as we reached the opera house my anxiety returned. Dr. Kreizler stepped out of the calash first and I followed him. A whole bunch of carriages were milling about as people exited them. Everyone looked like they had a lot of money, and it made me feel out of place. Women were wearing fancy dresses and expensive jewelry. Men were dressed in the finest suits.

As we approached the entrance of the building, we spotted Miss Howard and Mr. Moore. We said out hellos and Mr. Moore gave me a confused look with furrowed brows. "Miss Perish, do you not own any dresses? Wait a minute... isn't that-" He started, but was cut off fairly quickly. "John, stop being so rude. I'm sure she owns a great deal of beautiful dresses. So what if she prefers to wear men's clothing instead?" Miss Howard said, giving her friend a stern look. He apologized and I accepted his apology because I wasn't offended in the slightest. But I have to admit that I actually only own two dresses, and neither of them would have been good enough to get into this place. If stepped foot into here with one of them on I'd be the laughing stock of the entire city. I pressed my thoughts to the back of my mind when the detective sergeants came up to us. Again, we said our hellos and Marcus actually complemented me on my appearance. I thanked him awkwardly before we cut through the crowds of people and went to our opera box. "So, Miss Perish... do you enjoy opera?" Marcus asked me curiously as we took our seats.

"Actually, yes. I can't say that I've ever experienced it like this though." I replied. "How do you mean?" He asked with furrowed brows. "Well, my brother and I use to sit in back alleys and listen to the music when we were younger. We could never afford a private box let alone a normal seat down below." I said with a small smile. We made small talk while people filled the seats below us in front of the stage. Mr. Moore was whining about how much he dislikes the opera, and I saw Miss Howard give him a jab in the side with her elbow. It took all of my strength not to burst with laughter. I was seated behind the doctor with the Isaacson brothers to the right of me. They were bickering like true siblings often do. It made me wish that my brother Henry could have been here with us. But I'm sure he was probably too busy studying; however, I think he'd jump at every opportunity to be in close proximity to Dr. Kreizler. The thought made me smile. "It's about to start." Miss Howard whispered. The detective sergeants quit bickering, but they were still looking very cross with each other. The music started and I drew in a sharp inhale of air.

"Is there something wrong, Miss Perish?" Dr. Kreizler asked in a hushed tone of concern. "No, it's just... Don Giovanni... it's my favorite." I replied with a wide smile. A soft smile spread across his face and his eyes sparkled with delight. "It's my favorite too." He said as his smile broadened slightly. We silently looked at each other for a few brief moments before he turned his attention towards the action on stage. I was so happy that I was starting to get to know some of my employer's interests, especially since we seemed to like a lot of the same things. My thoughts melted away as I listened to the beautiful music and lost myself in the moment.

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	6. Delmonico's

**Aurora's POV: **

When the play had ended everyone clapped and cheered for the wonderful singers. It was a pleasure to actually see what was going happening on the stage for a change. All six of us stood up and exited the opera box. I wasn't sure how the others were feeling, but I was absolutely delighted. As we worked our way through the crowds of people I wondered if I'd get to accompany them on more excursions like this one in the future. Eventually we reached the main doors and stepped out into the pleasantly surprising cool night air. It was quite warm in the opera house after all, and I found the breeze to be very refreshing. Dr. Kreizler and I climbed into the shelled calash while the others hailed cabs. From here we were to go to Delmonico's and my nerves came back.

I knew most of the people there would most likely be dressed just as fancy as the opera goers were. I pressed my thoughts to the back of my mind and focused on the sound of horse hooves on the cobblestone street. I also noticed various prostitutes and drunkards milling about as most do at this time of the night. As beautiful as New York was it also had a filthy underbelly. "So, did you enjoy Don Giovanni this evening?" Kreizler asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled down upon us. "Of course I enjoyed it. I'm... I'm actually very glad you were so kind enough to invite me this evening." I said. He nodded once as a small smile spread across his face. I couldn't help but smile in return. During the rest of the carriage ride we talked about music, which he seemed to know a lot about. I wasn't very knowledgeable in that particular area but I certainly knew how to appreciate the art of music.

"You play piano?" I said in a curious tone. "Well... I use to. I still play a little when I can find the time, but it isn't really the same." He said with a sort of pained, yet detached sort of look in his eyes. I figured he was referring to his withered arm. I felt bad for him, especially since he seemed so passionate about music. "I'm sorry." I said softly. I didn't really know what to say to be honest. "Don't be." He replied as he studied me with his pretty eyes. The calash started to slow down, and I figured we had approached out destination. Once we were completely stopped Cyrus opened the door for us, and offered me a hand to get out. I accepted his help and thanked him as I stepped out of the way so Dr. Kreizler could step out as well. The Isaacson brothers as well as John and Sara joined us a few moments later.

Dr. Kreizler lead the way into the busy restaurant. As we followed him the rest of us discussed the opera we had just seen. "Have you ever eaten here before?" Lucius asked me curiously as we were lead to a table on the outskirts of the main dinning area. "No, I haven't actually." I replied. "Well, then... you're in for a treat. Del's serves the best food in New York. Well... that's my opinion anyway." John said as we were seated. After we were settled in our seats I glanced around the room and felt even more out of place than I imagined. The sound of people taking, laughing, silverware clinking, and whatnot seemed almost overwhelming. I was only brought back to reality by the sound of someone at our table talking. When I looked around to see who it was, I realized that Sara has asked me a question. "I'm so sorry, but I didn't hear what you said." I admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"It's okay. I just wanted to know how you've been enjoying your employment with Dr. Kreizler." She replied with an amused smile on her face. I was about to reply before we were interrupted by waiters who had brought our food and drink. I assume that Kreizler had scheduled ahead of time and arranged the meal for us so we didn't have to order for ourselves. It was very clever, but I was a little worried that wouldn't like it. I was use to my style of cooking after all. But I did have some faith in the doctor. "I've been enjoying my employment under Dr. Kreizler very much actually." I said once we were left alone. "Come now, Miss Perish. You don't have to say that just because he'd sitting with us. He can take creative criticism." John joked, causing the others to smile. "I'll remember that the next time someone asks my opinion about you, John." Kreizler playfully joked back, making us all laugh lightly.

"No, but I'm serious. Where else could I work and meet such nice and interesting people?" I said, and it seemed as if my words had touched them. "She can cook and none of us have managed to scared her off yet. You better keep her Laszlo, or I'll never forgive you." John said, making Sara and the Isaacson brothers laugh happily as they agreed. The doctor and I looked at each other before he spoke up. "I intend to keep her as long as she wishes to stay in my employment." He said and I felt myself blush. I quickly looked down at my food in the hopes that he hadn't noticed, but I had a sneaking suspicion that he had. The subject was quickly changed as we ate the delicious meal the chef had prepared for us all. There was so much food I didn't think I'd need to cook breakfast for myself in the morning. Honestly I could barely walk and the others seemed to be feeling the same way as we walked out of Delmonico's. We said our goodbyes as my new friends clamored into cabs. I climbed into the calash after Kreizler and Cyrus closed the door behind us. As we headed towards Lafayette street I listened to the horse hooves, but I didn't have anything to be nervous about this time. My stomach was full and I had a pleasant evening. I felt like I had a lot to be happy about in that moment.

Which is a feeling I haven't had in a long time. "Did you have a nice time this evening?" Dr. Kreizler asked, taking me out of my thoughts. "Yes, I did. Thanks for inviting me. The opera was fantastic and the food was delicious!" I replied. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." He said with a small smile playing at his lips. Once we arrived at my apartment I thanked him once more before getting out of the calash. Cyrus stayed by the rig until I was safely inside. When I entered the apartment I found my brother sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of tea. "How was work today?" He asked. When he looked up his eyes widened in shock and confusion. "What are you wearing? Those aren't the clothes you left in." He said with furrowed brows. I completely forgot I wasn't wearing my own clothing. "Oh, these are Dr. Kreizler's. He invited me to the opera this evening and he let me borrow them." I replied as if it wasn't a big deal. Henry quickly grabbed a cup and poured a cup of tea for me. I had a feeling I was going to be up late telling him everything that had happened tonight. The morning brought cloudy skies and cool temperatures, but I didn't mind. I quickly made some coffee after I dressed so I'd be awake a little before heading out for the day. I was still stuffed from last night's dinner, so I didn't make anything to eat. But I did make some toast for my brother. We said out goodbyes before I walked out into the street and hailed a cab.

I made sure to take Dr. Kreizler's clothes back so I could wash them before returning them to his wardrobe. The ride there seemed to take longer than usual, which was a little odd. But I was a little excited to see Cyrus, Stevie, and the doctor this morning. I've gotten fairly attached to them during the short time I've been working there. As soon as the car stopped I hurried out and paid the driver off before heading inside. After closing the door behind me I went through the usual morning routine of cooking breakfast, making coffee, buttoning the doctor's boots, etc. "Oh, I almost forgot. I put the clothes you left here in the bedroom we talked about yesterday. I hope you don't mind." Dr. Kreizler said after he sat down at the dinning table. "Thank you, doctor. I don't mind at all." I replied before leaving the room.

In all honesty I intended to take him up on the offer he presented to me yesterday. After last night I had a feeling it really would be easier if I decided to use the small bedroom on occasion. Only when I had to spend late nights working. When I walked back into the kitchen I found Cyrus and Stevie eating the food I had made. The three of us talked for a while before they attended to their duties. Stevie took Dr. Kreizler to the institute while I collected his dishes and set to cleaning them. I washed the dishes before deciding to wash the clothes I had borrowed from the doctor last night. While they dried I checked out the bedroom he had showed me. I saw the shirt and pants I had worn yesterday laying on the bed. On top of them were the books I wanted to borrow from Kreizler's personal library. After going to the opera and Delmonico's, I completely forgotten about them. I gathered the clothes and put them in the sack I brought to carry the doctor's garments. Then I sat to getting the bedroom cleaned. As I looked around I noticed that a few of the books had been moved around a little since the last time I had been in here.

Dust can tell you a lot if you look hard enough; if the room wasn't dusty I wouldn't have even noticed the books had been moved. I pressed my thoughts to the bacon or my mind as I stripped the bed and sat the sheets, blankets, etc in the laundry room. After I dusted and cleaned the floors I decided to look through the dressers. To my surprise there were a few nice looking dresses and other articles of clothing in them. 'If someone quits their job or is fired, they usually take all of their belongings with them' I thought inside of my head. I was going to take the dresses out of the dressers, but it just didn't feel right. 'I'll ask Dr. Kreizler what he wishes me to do with them.' I said inside of my head as I went about cleaning. My first thought was to donate them, but I didn't want to make the doctor mad. At lunch time I took a break to cook something up for my friends and I. Cyrus came inside first and washed his hands. "It really smells good in here Miss Perish." He said with a small smile. "Thanks. I hope you two like what I'm making." I replied. "Oh, I'm sure we will." He replied happily.

Stevie joined us a few minutes later and we ate together. We made small talk for a while before I asked them about who had stayed in the room I was currently cleaning. They glanced at each other as if they were communicating with their eyes. It took a while before one of them spoke up. "The housekeeper we had before... well.. before we had a long string of bad housekeepers." Stevie said as sorrow and a hint of anger passed through his eyes. "Why do you ask?" Cyrus asked curiously with the same look in his eyes as well. I mentioned that Dr. Kreizler offered me to stay here on nights when I have to work late, and how he suggested that I stayed in the bedroom I had mentioned. They gave each other confused glances before saying anything. "Did he really offer you to stay in Ma- I mean... the old housekeeper bedroom?" Stevie asked.

The two of them look bewildered by what I had told them. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't think I'd find out through them. The only way I'd find out was if the doctor was willing to tell me. But... I didn't feel like asking him in the off hand chance that it would make him upset. "Yeah, I swear. You can ask him yourselves if you don't believe me." I replied. The two of them assured me that they did believe me, but they were just surprised. Again, I didn't know why they were surprised but I knew there had to have been a story behind it. A story I'm sure I probably wasn't prepared to hear.

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	7. The Story of Mary Palmer

**Aurora's POV: **

A couple of days went by and I had the bedroom, I had been working on, finally looking in top condition. The only thing I hadn't dealt with was the dresses that were left behind by the previous occupant. 'I should bring the subject up to the doctor before I forget about it.' I thought inside of my head as I walked upstairs to give him his breakfast. After I sat the tray on the dinning table, I walked over to him and started buttoning his shoes. "Doctor, as you know I've been cleaning out the bedroom you and I discussed a few days or so ago." I mentioned to get turned conversation started. "Yes, and? Is the room not satisfactory? Have you second thoughts?" He asked.

I looked up at him to find him studying me with his beautifully dark eyes. "Oh, no. The room is fine." I said. He leaned back slightly in the chair he was sitting in. I also noticed that some of the concern on his face had melted away and was replaced with worry. I paused briefly to finish buttoning up one of his boots. "I was just wondering what you'd like me to do with the dresses and other garments that were left behind." I said, looking back up at him. "I thought you might put them to good use. Especially since I have every intention to take you to the opera again." He said. The look in his eyes gave me butterflies, but I quickly recovered once I broke the eye contact and stared at his boots. "You aren't serious? ... about the... wearing dresses bit, are you?" I asked.

A beautiful sounding chuckle escaped him, and when I looked up he was smiling adorably. "Well, not entirely. It's obvious that you hate wearing dresses. I noticed how uncomfortable you were during our interview." He said. He paused as we looked at each other. His brown eyes sparkled with an amused warmth that coaxed a smile out of me. "I suppose I can let you borrow my clothes for now, but we will have to get you your own. Others seeing you wearing my suit while we're out together... people might start talking and spreading rumors." He said as I finished buttoning his boots. "People do little else." I replied with a shrug before looking up at him again.

He let out a little airy laugh through his nose and nodded. "True." He said with a small smile that quickly faded. We both stood up and told me to donate the dresses to a charity if I really didn't want to use them. I wished him a wonderful day before heading into the kitchen. Like always, Stevie and Cyrus were eating and drinking coffee. I mentioned that I'd need to be taken to one of the local charities to drop off the dresses. "Why don't you just come along with Dr. Kreizler and I can take you there after dropping him off." Stevie said, which was a good idea. So I quickly gathered the dresses and Cyrus helped me load them into the carriage. Then I gathered the dishes from the dinning room before meeting the doctor outside. "Having a companion with me on my way to the institute will be a pleasant change.

I don't know why I hadn't suggested it earlier." Kreizler said with a small smile before we climbed inside the calash. The box of dresses were sitting next to me on the floor of the carriage. Stevie drove Fredrick onto the street and picked up the pace a little once he was in the clear of pedestrians. During the ride I couldn't help but notice the doctor's quick glances at the box of dresses. His eyes were overflowing with sorrow and regret. I was tempted to cross the carriage and sit next to him in an attempt to show him comfort. But I didn't want to overstep any boundaries. "Who was she?" I said softly, yet loud enough to be heard over the traffic that was passing us. His head snapped up and I prepared to be shouted at from the dark look in his eyes, but what I was expecting never came. "Her name was Mary Palmer.

She was once a patient of mine. I took her in as a housekeeper, because I knew a life for her out in society would have been rough." He said just as softly as I had spoken. "How so?" I asked curiously. In all honesty I was surprised that he was telling me this at all. 'Maybe Stevie and Cyrus mentioned something to him.' I thought inside of my head. "She couldn't speak." He replied before he explaining to me the congenial dysfunction she suffered from. His eyes were downcast as he spoke, and I had a feeling that this woman had meant much more to him than just a patient or a housekeeper. "I'm so very sorry for your loss, Dr. Kreizler." I said, which seemed to surprise him. His eyes grew wide, but his shock soon turned into curiosity. "Did... Stevie or Cyrus mention that she died?" He asked. It looked as if it physically pained him to say those last two words, and it probably did.

Losing someone you care for is always painful and time doesn't heal like everyone says it does. Time only gives you the ability to accept that someone is no longer amongst the living, but even then you still can't fully accept it. Not really. "No, they didn't mention anything about her actually. I sort of figured she passed away due to the things that were left behind." I said, gesturing towards the box next to me. He nodded once and I chose not to press the matter any further. It was obvious he was battling the emotions he was feeling inside, and I regretted bringing the subject up. The calash begun to slow down and I hoped he wasn't upset with me. I felt like I made him open up about something he wasn't ready to discus and it made me feel awful. "Doctor..." I said, trailing off as he opened the carriage door himself. He turned his head to look at me and I was surprised when I noticed his eyes soften towards me. "You didn't force me to tell you anything. I spoke of her freely to you." He said before he exited the carriage. I sat there, surprised by what he had said.

Maybe it's because he knew I felt bad making him talked about something that brought him heart ached. Before Stevie pulled back into the street I spotted a few children greet Dr. Kreizler as he walked through the gate of the institute. 'He's a good man. A troubled man, but a good man nonetheless.' I said inside of my head as I headed towards the charity I was to donate the dresses to. The rest of the day consisted of cooking, cleaning, and a bit of light reading. I made sure to make one of the doctor's favorite meals to compensate for the pain he had felt earlier that day. He seemed pleased about it when I collected his dishes once he had finished eating. Stevie and Cyrus went outside to tend to the horses while I washed dishes. After I had finished cleaning up the kitchen I wondered what the doctor was up to. As if on cue I could hear the sound of a piano playing from the sitting room.

Instead of putting on my jacket and going outside for Cyrus to drive me home, I walked out into the hall and into the sitting room. I stood in the doorway watching Dr. Kreizler play piano with his good arm. The jacket he was wearing was no longer on his person. He was in his waistcoat and white buttoned shirt. I walked further into the room before I spoke up. "Do you mind if I join you?" I asked curiously. "Not at all." He replied with one of his small smiles. I sat down on the bench next to him and he continued playing after he glanced at me. "Are you familiar with this piece?" He asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence. The only sound was coming from the piano. "A little. My mother use to play when I was younger." I replied. The two of us played piano together, and I messed up on a few of the notes. Kreizler chuckled softly each time I did which made me blush in embarrassment.

He helped me remember the notes I had forgotten over the years, which I think he somewhat enjoyed. When we finished one of the songs, the room went completely silent. The only sound was coming from the ticking clock. "Usually Cyrus and I play piano together. As you know, I can't play with both of my hands." He said, breaking the quietness that had settled down upon us. His head was bent and his eyes were trained on the black and white keys sitting in front of him. "Everyone needs someone to hit the right notes for us when we can't reach them ourselves. Figuratively and literally." I said softly. He slowly looked up at me. Studying me with his beautiful brown eyes. We looked at each other for a few minutes before I suggested that I should head home. It wasn't too late, but I needed to get home so I could help my brother study for his exams tomorrow. Deep down I wanted to spend more time with the doctor. On the other hand, I didn't want to overstay my welcome by having him open up to me without intending to.

I wasn't entirely sure why he was being so transparent with me today. Perhaps it had to do something with the fact that he was willing to tell me the story about Mary Palmer. Someone who he clearly cared very deeply about. "I'll see you tomorrow, Dr. Kreizler. Have a lovely evening." I said as I put my jacket on. He followed me down to the kitchen, which he didn't have to do. "You have a lovely evening as well, Aurora." He said. I could barely believe my ears for a moment. 'Did... did he actually just call me by my first name?' I thought inside of my head. I nodded with a small smile and he turned to leave before I walked outside. Stevie and Cyrus had the calash ready for me when I did so. After thanking them I climbed inside and thought about the way my name sounded in Kreizler's deep voice. It made me smile; I really hoped he'd take to calling my by my first name from now on but I wasn't going to count on it. Once I got home my brother was sitting in the living room with a couple of his college friends. I didn't mind him inviting them to study and whatnot, but that didn't mean that I liked them. I especially didn't like the blond haired man sitting next to Henry. Francis Manning is an arrogant brat with rich parents. He has no respect for anything and anyone he finds lesser than him.

I've told my brother multiple times to drop him, but he doesn't listen to me. All Francis wants is to get a free ride in his classes; that's why he pretends to like my brother so much. Henry and his other friends do all the work and Mr. Manning copies off of them. "Hey, how was work today?" My brother asked as I rubbed my eyes a little. "It was good. How was your day?" I replied as I walked over to an armchair and sat down. "Where does she work? On the streets?" Francis said, laughing at his own tasteless joke. "No. As a matter of fact she works as a housekeeper for Dr. Laszlo Kreizler." Henry said proudly with a small smile on his face. His friends Damien and Patrick gasped in surprised excitement. Obviously they were fans of the doctor's work as well. The two of them asked me lots of questions about Dr. Kreizler, but I really couldn't answer any of them. I hadn't had the privilege to witness my employer in his natural habitat. By natural habitat I meant I hadn't seen him at work at the institute. "Isn't he that guy who was on trial for a child suicide at his institute?" Francis said, rudely interrupting Patrick.

"Yes, but there wasn't anything wrong with the people working there. Apparently the child was contemplating suicide before he was accepted." Damien said confidently. "Sure. I bet that crazy fool killed the kid himself. His ravings in the newspapers are enough proof that he himself should be locked up in an mental asylum." Francis said with an arrogance in his tone that made me dislike him even more. The jab at Dr. Kreizler and his work struck a nerve, but I refused to let that show. Patrick, Damien, and Henry's eyes grew wide. "Actually, he's a very intelligent and insightful man.

Maybe you should meet him Francis. Perhaps he'll be able to pinpoint the childhood trauma you suffered that made you into such pompous prick." I said before I stood up. My brother's friends struggled to hold back laughter as I left them to studying. I went into my bedroom and changed into my pajamas so I could go to sleep. But it took me a little longer than usual due to the anger that was running through my veins. I doubted that Henry would bring Francis back any time soon, and I was happy about that.

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	8. Dresses Attract Attention

p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"strongAurora's POV: /strong/p  
p dir="ltr"September faded into October, which brought cooler and comfortable temperatures. The vibrant blue sky was speckled with white fluffy clouds. Golden sunlight shined down as I got out of a cab with Miss Howard. "So... what are we doing here again?" I asked even though I knew the answer. "Because Dr. Kreizler wants you to have opera cloths, and I doubt anyone in this city would make a suit for a woman." She replied with an amused sort of smile on her face as she paid the driver off. I let out a deep sigh as she lead the way into the store we were currently standing in front of. Displays of various different dresses were situated in the street windows so passersby could see them./p  
p dir="ltr"When we walked inside I closed the door behind us. I practically cringed when I looked around and saw the other dresses that were on display; most of which were covered in unnecessary frills and whatnot. "Ah, good morning Miss Howard. Have you come in for a new dress?" A short middle aged man asked her curiously. The graying hair on his head was in a side part and he had a handlebar mustache. The round silver rimmed glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose glinted in the light. "Good morning Mr. Kensington. I've actually brought my friend in to find a dress; I'm just here to provide my opinion." She replied with a small smile. "Very well. Come with me Miss, we shall find something to your liking." He said as he gently grabbed my arm and lead me deeper into the store. I was nervous and disgruntled as I looked around at the various different dresses. None of them really spoke or jumped out at me. Maybe it's because I don't like wearing dresses, or perhaps what I truly liked wasn't there./p  
p dir="ltr"After Miss Howard spoke to Mr. Kensington for a while, she convinced him to let me look at the newest designed dresses. They were garments that were set to be released at the beginning of the holiday season in December. As I looked around I was close to losing all hope until I stumbled upon a black dress. The fabric was embroidered so the entire thing looked as if it were covered in flowers and vines. It also had selves and a rounded collar. "Have we found anything we like?" Mr. Kensington asked curiously, breaking the silence that had filled the room. "Maybe. Um... is it alright if I try this on?" I asked him curiously. "Of course. Allow me to show you to the fitting room." He replied with an excited look on his face. Sara mentioned a corset, but I made it very clear that I wasn't going to wear one. I was too familiar with the damage a corset can do to one's rib cage and internal organs. In all honesty I couldn't believe that most women still wear them, but you can thank society for that. Once I was in the fitting room I reluctantly took my masculine clothing off. I put on some under garments before putting the dress on. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I couldn't help but hate the way it felt on my body. I always found male clothes to be way more comfortable, but in all honesty I didn't mind the way I looked in the dress./p  
p dir="ltr""Come out and let me see how you look." Sara's voice said, taking me out of my thoughts. I let out a deep sigh before I exited the fitting room and let my friend see what I looked like in the dress I picked out. "You look wonderful, Aurora!" She said with a small gasp. I feel uncomfortable with someone complementing me, so I wasn't entirely sure how to respond. We left the store with the dress even though we technically shouldn't have been able to even seen it in the first place. The one thing that made me really nervous was that I'd be wearing it to the opera tonight. Going out in front of people in a dress always gave me anxiety, because dresses attract attention. I pressed thoughts to the back of my mind as we headed to Dr. Kreizler's residence. Cyrus left Miss Howard and I inside and I sat the dress in the bedroom that once belonged to Mary Palmer. Ever since the doctor told me about Mary I couldn't help but feel like I didn't belong in that room. I got the feeling as if I was trespassing on something sacred. But Dr. Kreizler did give me permission to use the bedroom, so I really wasn't over stepping any boundaries or anything./p  
p dir="ltr"In all honesty I just didn't want anyone to think that I was trying to replace her. Especially since she meant so much to everyone who knew her. 'Stop worrying so much, Aurora. You have enough to worry about as it is.' I thought inside of my head as I joined Sara in the kitchen. "Would you like something to eat or drink?" I asked her curiously. I had to start making lunch for Stevie, Cyrus, and I anyway; I figured I might as well offer her something in return for accompanying me this morning. Without her I probably wouldn't have been able to find a dress that I didn't mind the look of. "No, thanks. I have some pressing matters to deal with at headquarters." She replied. During the time I've been working here I learned a lot about my employer's friends and their professions. Miss Howard worked as an independent consulting detective. As an avid reader of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, her job peaked my interest. Of course the Isaacson brothers were detectives but they were limited in the cases they could investigate. They are members of the New York police department and their colleagues didn't care much for them./p  
p dir="ltr"Especially since the brothers employed new modern methods in their crime solving, not to mention the fact that they're Jewish. I never really understood why people could treat others poorly based on their religious beliefs. "I'll see you this evening then?" I said in a questioning tone as I walked outside with her. "Absolutely. I'm looking forward to it." She said with a small smile on her face. I smiled as well as we said our goodbyes. I waved as her cab took off down the street before heading back inside. As I started cooking, Cyrus and Stevie came inside and sat down at the table. They asked me questions about the dress shopping Sara and I had done today. I made them laugh by expressing how disgruntled I was about having to wear feminine clothing, which made me happy. "I'm sure you'll look wonderful. You're a pretty young woman, Miss Perish." Cyrus said with a kind smile. Stevie agreed with him, and I thanked them for the complement. Oddly enough I didn't feel awkward. Maybe it's because we know each other fairly well now./p  
p dir="ltr"It wasn't like getting a complement from a complete stranger. After the food was done the three of us ate together at the small kitchen table. We talked about the weather and whatnot. Stevie said he ran into a few of his old friends the other day on one of his walks around the city. Our conversation was really calming. That's exactly what I needed knowing that I had to dress up and go out to the opera. Sadly the Isaacson brothers weren't able to attend due to their duties at the police department. I actually found them amusing and interesting. But it would give me the opportunity to spend more time with Miss Howard and Mr. Moore. Once we finished eating I washed the dishes and cleaned up a little. I knew we'd be eating dinner at Delmonico's, so I didn't have to cook after leaving the opera house. Before I knew it, Stevie had picked up Dr. Kreizler and brought him home from the institute./p  
p dir="ltr" "Did Miss Howard help you find a dress you like?" Dr. Kreizler asked me curiously once he entered the kitchen. "Actually, she did." I replied. "Good. I'm sure you'll look lovely this evening. Not that you don't look lovely in men's clothes." He said, and I felt myself blush. Eventually he headed upstairs to get changed and I decided that I should get changed as well. I closed the bedroom door behind me as I walked in. 'Mary, I really hope you don't mind me utilizing your former bedroom.' I thought inside of my head as I started changing. After putting the undergarments on I put the dress over my body and instantly felt uncomfortable. Once I was finished I heard the doorbell ring. I figured it was either Miss Howard or Mr. Moore. 'It could be both of them if they came together.' I thought as I walked into the foyer and opened the door. Sara was standing on the doorstep wearing a green colored evening dress. She looked quite beautiful. "Come in. You look wonderful, Sara." I said with a small smile. "Thank you. You look wonderful as well." She replied smiling happily as she walked inside./p  
p dir="ltr"We chatted for a few minutes before Dr. Kreizler came bounding downstairs. He looked so handsome in his opera clothes, and I tried not to stare too much. He greeted Sara with a soft smile as well as a friendly handshake. When his eyes landed on me they grew wide and I notice his cheeks turned a light pink color. "You look stunning, Aurora." He said in soft, yet deep voice. I felt myself blush and hoped that Sara didn't notice; however, I'm pretty sure she had from the small smile that was on her face. "Thank you Dr. Kreizler." I said shyly and one of his cute smiles spread across his handsome face. The sound of the doorbell interrupted the moment, but it gave me an excuse to break eye contact with him. Not that I really wanted one, but I was starting to feel butterflies in my stomach. I walked over towards the door and opened it to find Mr. Moore standing on there. He was wearing his own opera clothes. Even though I knew he wasn't a huge fan of the opera, I knew he wouldn't turn down the opportunity to spend time with his friends. "Hello, Aurora. You look absolutely beautiful this evening. It's quite a change seeing you in a dress rather than a short and trousers." John said happily as he walked into the foyer./p  
p dir="ltr"I thanked him and laughed awkwardly as we rejoined Sara and the doctor. John ended up complementing Miss Howard on her appearance as well. After a few minutes of small talk we eventually got into a carriage, which was driven by Stevie and Cyrus. The three of them spoke about their jobs. I was mostly interested in Miss Howard and Dr. Kreizler's professions. Not that John's wasn't engaging, it's just that he wasn't really getting much work due to the invention of the camera. I honestly felt sorry for him. "Why don't you try being a writer. Not a reporter or journalist, I mean... and author." I suggested after a few moments of hearing him complain about the problem I just mentioned. "That is an idea. But... what on earth would I write about?" He replied, asking no one in particular. "Anything that interests you or something you believe the public should know." I said, hoping to give him inspiration./p  
p dir="ltr"The carriage was silent until we arrived at the opera house. Just like then last time we were here, a bunch of people were milling around outside the building. My stomach filled with anxiety at the very sight. The four of us got out of the carriage and Cyrus lead us into the building. Most patrons were giving Cyrus sideways glances, but none of them said anything. I think it had to do with how tall and large he was. But most of them were probably use to seeing him in company with Dr. Kreizler and his friends. On our way to the doctor's box I noticed that a few men were watching me. It made me more uncomfortable than I already was. I guess Dr. Kreizler sensed my anxiety and panic, because he fell back to walk by my side. "Are you alright?" He asked softly so the others couldn't hear him. "I'm okay. It's just... people are staring at me." I replied nervously. "That's because you look so graceful and enchanting." He replied and I internally screamed. I'm sure I was blushing so much I looked crimson./p  
p dir="ltr"Butterflies fluttered restlessly inside of my stomach and my insides felt like they were melting. If the room was silent I'm sure someone could have heard my heart hammering in my chest. I wasn't sure why I was reacting this way to his complements. Usually I'm always very awkward and uncomfortable, but no one else's words made me feel like this before. 'It's just nerves.' I told myself even though I wasn't fully convinced that it was just my nerves. One we were seated I relaxed a bit and the heat that was in my face slowly receded. Sara and Kreizler sat in front while John and I sat behind them. During the entire show I caught the doctor glancing back at the two of us. I'm not sure if John had noticed; if he did he didn't say anything about it./p  
p dir="ltr"strong+++++++++++++++++++/strongbr /strongA/N: Thanks for reading!/strong/p 


	9. 808 Broadway

**Aurora's POV: **

I was finishing up my cleaning duties when the telephone rang, making me jump slightly. The loud noise took me off guard for a few seconds. But when I recovered from the shock I hurried into the kitchen and grabbed the ear piece to see who had called. "Dr. Kreizler's residence, this is his housekeeper speaking. How may I assist you?" I said. "Miss Perish, it's me, Sara Howard." She said with a hint of amusement in her voice. I assumed her amusement was brought on from hearing me speak so formally. After all we always talk very casually when we're amongst each other. "Oh, hello Sara. If you're ringing for the doctor I'm afraid he's at the institute." I replied. "Oh, no. I called to speak with you. I was wondering if you'd care to join me for tea." She said and I could hear the smile in her voice.

I considered her proposal for a few seconds and eventually agreed to having tea with her. After all, I didn't have much to do today. Everything was cleaned and the boys already had their lunch. "Excellent! Have Stevie or Cyrus bring you to 808 Broadway." She told me before we said our goodbyes. I grabbed my jacket and stepped outside to see if one of them were in the stables. I found Cyrus brushing down Gwendolyn, one of the two horses that the doctor owns. "What are you doing out here? It's awfully chilly, you should be inside where it's warm. The doctor has gotten quite attached to you; he'd be upset if you got sick and had to stay home." He said in his powerful yet friendly voice. A small smile graced his face and a sparkle filled his eyes as well. I smiled and laughed slightly before giving Gwendolyn a couple of lumps of sugar.

"Actually I was wondering if you could take me to 808 Broadway. Sara asked me to join her for tea, and I accepted the offer." I said after a few comfortable moments of silence. The sparkle in his eyes faded and was replaced with a mix of emotions I couldn't quite decipher. "Sure, just give me a couple of minutes to hook one of the horses up." He replied, and nodded in understanding. I walked out of the stables and realized he was right. It was a bit chilly out today. The leaves on the trees were almost completely turned to the beautiful colors that autumn brings. As I waited I wondered why Cyrus's mood had changed when I mentioned 808 Broadway. I mean... it's the headquarters for Sara's detective agency, but other than that I wasn't sure why he looked so concerned. Before the two of us left he informed me that Stevie was out with a few of his friends, so we didn't really have to worry about leaving him alone.

Not that we really had to worry about him being alone; he can take care of himself. He didn't get the nickname _'Stevepipe' _for nothing. I pressed my thoughts to the back of my mind the best I could as we traveled to my destination. People were milling about shopping and whatnot, and it was quite amusing to watch them. Ever since I was young I was sort of a people watcher. As the calash began slowing down I was impressed by 808's architecture. It was quite magnificent and eye catching. I thanked Cyrus for the lift and he told me he'd wait on me so I didn't have to find a cab when I was ready to leave. I thanked him once more before heading inside. Miss Howard came down with the elevator as soon as the front doors closed behind me. "Did Cyrus bring you?" She asked curiously, and I told her he had. She wanted me to invite him up and so I did. He was reluctant to leave the calash unattended, but luck would have it that Stevie and one of is street friends were walking in our direction.

Cyrus paid Stevie's friend to keep an eye on the calash while the three of us headed up with Miss Howard. For some reason I felt like all of this was planned. Like Sara knew we'd all meet up at the right place at the right time, or maybe it was just dumb luck. Either way I really knew something was up when John and Isaacson brothers were already at 808 Broadway. The furniture style reminded me of Dr. Kreizler's house. The place looked more like a home rather than a detective agency, but the five desks brought a little professional touch to the place. Everyone greeted each other kindly, but John seemed surprised to see me. All of them besides Sara were exchanging worried and concerned looks, which made me feel uncomfortable. Seats were taken and cups of tea were passed around. Small talk was made and my eyes took in my surroundings.

There was a large chalkboard on the far side of the room with various scribbles on the surface. I couldn't quite make out what was written on it, but I had a feeling that it was important. The entire situation seemed more important than just an invitation to afternoon tea. Soon the small talk faded into uncomfortable silence. "So, this is where you receive your clients then? I bet this place has a lot of stories to tell." I said, causing another round of nervous glances. I asked Sara about the cases she usually got; I wasn't surprised when she told me that most of her clients were women wanting to know if their husbands were cheating on them. I'm sure that was very disappointing for a thrill seeking kind of woman like Miss Howard. But I'm sure she got some interesting cases every once in a while. After a few minutes John spoke of the recent stories that covered the front and inner pages of the _Times Newspaper. _

Almost all of them were unimportant or published to distract the public from more pressing matters that were happening. The filthy underbelly of the city was festering like some kind of ravaging infection. The Isaacson brothers spoke of how the police department was going down the tubes since Theodore Roosevelt left for Washington last year. We just finished our tea when Stevie mentioned that Dr. Kreizler had just gotten out of a cab outside of the building. "John, go take the elevator down for him." Sara said quickly as if she was in a slight panic. "Come with me, Miss Perish. If the doctor finds you here he'll have all our heads." Marcus said, ushering me out of my seat and towards the back of the room. We entered a small kitchen and then descended a darkened stairway. "Why wouldn't Dr. Kreizler want me to be here? You're all his friends, and Sara was the one who invited me in the first place!" I said as I tried to keep up with Marcus who was leading the way. Once we were outside on the pavement he quickly glanced up at one if the large windows of 808. I figured he was making sure the doctor wasn't looking down at the street before we made any other moves.

"Are you going to answer me?" I asked him curiously. "There's no time. Go, and get back to the doctor's house as quick as you can." He said, breathing heavy from the excitement and possible anxiety. I quickly hailed a cab and told the driver my destination, making sure to tell him it was urgent. I don't think I ever had a cab ride that went to quickly in my entire life. In no time I was in front of 283 East Seventeenth Street. I paid the driver handsomely due to the fact that I made him drive haphazardly. When I entered the home I could hear the telephone ringing. I sprinted into the kitchen and answered it, hoping I didn't sound out of breath. Hearing Dr. Kreizler's voice on the other end caused some anxiety to flow through my body. "I thought I should call ahead and inform you that my friends will be coming over for dinner tonight." He said, and I could hear a bit of suspicion in his tone. I thanked him for letting me know and we hung up. 'If I lose my job I'll never forgive them.' I thought inside of my head as I washed my hands and got started on making dinner.

Everything was cooking when the doctor and his guests arrived. John whipped up cocktails in the sitting room while I returned to the kitchen to keep an eye on dinner. A few moments passed before Cyrus and Stevie walked into the kitchen from the stables. "Does he know?" I asked in a whisper. "It's safe to assume that he does. It's hard to hide anything from that man." Stevie replied. I let out a deep sigh as I plopped down on one of the chairs at the table. 'Great. This is just great! You're going to get fired over tea.' I thought, and perhaps I was over thinking. I'm just so worried about losing this job, because it's the best job I've ever had. Plus the pay is nice and the company is even better. Everyone I've meet while working here has become my friend, and I didn't want to lose them. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. The doctor is fond of you, and he isn't a cruel man." Cyrus said, easing my uneasiness a tad. I left out a deep sigh before attending to my cooking duties.

John, Lucius, and Marcus gave me worried looks as I passed around the first course of the meal. Obviously they felt guilty for what had happened earlier, but I gave them all reassuring looks. It wasn't their fault; they didn't even know I was going to be at 808 Broadway. Apparently it was all Sara's idea. Maybe she just wanted me to see her detective agency because I'm so interested in her work. But something deep down told me otherwise. Cyrus and Stevie stayed in the kitchen with me and we ate together. By the end of the night there was a pile of dishes to be washed and a messy kitchen to be cleaned. Cyrus decided to stay and help, but Dr. Kreizler told Stevie to go to his room to do his studies. At eleven thirty the place was finally cleaned. I was tired and didn't feel like making Cyrus drive me all the way home. So I asked if he could let the doctor know I planned on spending the night. After he left the kitchen I called my brother to let him know I wouldn't be home tonight.

"Are you sure you want to stay there?" He asked me curiously. I knew he was indicating that it might not be safe because of Stevie and Cyrus's criminal history. "Yes, I'm sure. I trust them, Henry. They're my friends and they aren't bad people; you'd know that if you'd meet them." I replied. 'What gives him the right to judge them? His friend Francis is complete snob.' I thought inside of my head. Eventually he accepted the fact that he wasn't going to convince me to go home this evening. We said our goodbyes and I decided to wash up. When I was finished I put on a pair of pajamas that I brought to keep here a few weeks back. Instead of going to sleep right away, I walked upstairs to the doctor's study to tell him goodnight. I know I didn't have to but there was just something telling me that I should. I knocked on his door lightly and walked in to find him face down on some papers he had been writing. Fear filled my veins because I thought that maybe something was wrong.

So I walked closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Dr. Kreizler?" I said in a concerned tone. He jolted awake and looked around frantically. My shock and surprise melted away to amusement when I noticed a piece of paper was stuck to the side of his face. "I just came to say goodnight." I said, and he peeled the sheet of paper from his face in embarrassment. I giggled softly and a small smile spread across his face. "What's so funny?" He asked me curiously with slightly furrowed brows. "You have ink on your face." I replied. He looked so cute my heart felt like it was going to burst! I ended up helping him get the ink off, and then he walked be down to the bedroom I was going to be staying in. Beyond my better judgement I gently wrapped my arms around his torso and laid my head on his chest.

I could feel him tens up a little, but he relaxed after a few minutes. He wrapped his uninjured arm around my shoulder blades. Then he placed his injured arm around the small of my back, very gently pulling me closer. Butterflies filled my stomach and my soul felt so warm. "Goodnight Dr. Kreizler." I said, but I didn't let him go. "Goodnight Aurora." He replied softly. We held each other a few moments longer before we broke the hug. I stood there and watched him leave before walking into the bedroom. After closing the door I made sure the gas lamps were off before climbing into bed. All I could think about was the way it felt to be so close to him as I fell into a deep sleep.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I really hope you guys like this chapter. I loved writing it!**


	10. Sara's Scheme

p dir="ltr"strongAurora's POV: /strong/p  
p dir="ltr"I was busy cleaning when someone rang the doorbell, making me wonder who had come to visit the doctor. Especially since he was at the institute and no one else was home. Stevie went for a walk around the city while Cyrus stayed at the institute with Dr. Kreizler. I hurried into the kitchen to wash my hands real quick before heading towards the front door. I stopped when I heard voices I recognized. "Sara, do you really think this is wise? I mean, she is under Laszlo's employment. I don't think he would approve of having his housekeeper involved in all of this." John Moore's voice said. My suspicions were aroused because the last time we were together, I ended up having to escape down a darkened stairway so Dr. Kreizler wouldn't see me./p  
p dir="ltr"I still wasn't sure why they didn't want him to know that I was at Sara's detective headquarters. What really confused me was the fact that John and the Isaacson brothers were there as well as Stevie and Cyrus. The fact that none of them were concerned that the doctor would find Stevie and Cyrus there just didn't sit right with me. It seemed like all of them were use to spending time together there, so why would it be strange for me to be there when we're all technically friends? "Relax, John. All I want to do is ask her a few questions. After all, she has experience that neither of us have. Besides... if she happens to be interested in the work we're doing I doubt there's much the doctor can do to keep her away." Sara replied with a hint of defiance in her voice. "You do realize that he could fire her if he wanted to. Then what? Her financial security will fall apart and it'll be on your hands. I want no part of this." He replied./p  
p dir="ltr"I opened the door and caught him starting to descend the stairs, and a defeated look took over his features when he realized he was stuck in Sara's scheme. "Good morning. If you're here to see Dr. Kreizler he's at the institute." I replied casually. "Actually we've came to see you." John said giving Sara an annoyed glance. I invited them in and offered them coffee or tea. The three of us sat in the small kitchen and drank a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Both of them looked tired and worn as if they hadn't gotten any real sleep in a couple of days. "So... what brings you here on this wonderful day?" I asked them curiously. It really was a wonderful day; the sun was shining brightly and the rays were warm. A few fluffy white clouds floated across the sky every once in a while as well./p  
p dir="ltr"It was the perfect fall day and I was sadly stuck inside cleaning. But I knew I had to focus on my responsibilities before I could enjoy the fine weather. "Well, we just wanted to talk really." John said nonchalantly. We made small talk for a while before Sara mentioned my parents. I talked about the bakery they ran together before it had to be closed due to their ill health that lead to their tragic deaths. But they seemed more interested in my father's life before I was born. Fortunately my parents always told Henry and I about their interesting lives before we were brought into this world. "Well, he was a chef for one of the restaurants in China Town." I replied. "Your father was Asian?" John asked, looking surprised. "No, he got hired because he spent most of his life traveling the world and learning to cook, especially Asian cuisine." I said with slightly furrowed brows./p  
p dir="ltr"It was odd having two people who never knew my father ask me questions about his past. I knew it had to do with Sara's scheme but I wasn't sure how. A few more minutes went by of me talking about the various dishes and whatnot that my mother and father had taught me to cook. Most of them I forgot how to make, but I could still remember a great deal of them. "Have you read the newspapers recently?" Sara asked, taking me aback. 'I know conversations take turns sometimes, but never as sharply and as quickly as that.' I thought inside of my head as I took a sip of my coffee. "Now that you mention it, no. I'm more of a novel reader myself especially since the newspapers nowadays are riddled with ridiculous stories. No offense." I added the last part, knowing that John works at the New York Times. "None taken. I honestly quite agree with you on that point." He said with one brow raised./p  
p dir="ltr"Sara cut into the conversation before John could go off on one of his rants about the newspaper industry. "Then you haven't heard of the mass murders that have been occurring in the upper class parts of the city?" She said, causing a heavy sort of silence to settle down around us. "No, I haven't heard anything about any mass murders. Is that a case you've been working on? How are they being killed?" I asked feeling a little excited. I never imagined that Sara would talk freely about a case that has been placed in her hands. Especially one that involved mass murders of the wealthier class. "Yes, it's something we've been working on. Unfortunately we've hit a dead end, because no one knows how the families are being killed." She said with a spark in her eyes that told me she knew I wanted to hear every detail. Apparently two large wealthy families had been slaughtered two weeks from each other. Each body was found sitting at the dinner table without any kind of wounds or explanation of death. They showed me snippets of the newspaper articles; most of which were just a bunch of poppycock conjured up my the corrupt police department./p  
p dir="ltr""I would assume the bodies weren't checked for any poisons or toxins." I said as I handed the articles back to John. "No, and I highly doubt that they ever will." Sara said. We sat there quietly for a few moments before I spoke up. "So this is what you wanted to talk to me about at 808 Broadway a couple of days ago? You guys work together to solve what seem like unsolvable cases?" I said with a questioning tone in my voice. "Yes, on both accounts. We work together on seemingly unsolvable cases. Especially if they seem interesting and challenging." Sara replied in a business like way. "But... why did you want to tell me all of this? You must have a deeper reason as to why, otherwise the two of you wouldn't be here." I said with slightly furrowed brows. "Just like Kreizler." John mumbled under his breath, but still loud enough so I could hear him. That caused a small smile to spread across Miss Howard's face. "Well, when you live with someone who's studying to be an alienist as well as work for one, some of the knowledge tends to rub off on you," I said feeling quite amused from the look on Mr. Moore's face. "My brother Henry is quite the fan of Dr. Kreizler's./p  
p dir="ltr"I hope the two of them get to meet sometime." I added before John could ask any questions. A couple of minutes of awkward silence passed between the three of us, and I couldn't help but wonder what the two of them were thinking. "You're correct in your observation, Aurora. We are here for a far more important reason than to just tell you about the work we do." Sara said, breaking the silence. "We? You mean emyou/em. This was all emyou're/em idea." John said. "John, need I remind you that my father taught me how to handle a gun?" She said with a dead serious look in her eyes, and I half expected her to draw a gun on him right then and there. However, she didn't and John shrunk down in his seat a little. I'm sure he was aware that she wasn't the kind to play games. "Then why are you here?" I interject. "We... I... was wondering if you'd be willing to join in on our investigation into these mass murders." She said and I could hardly believe my ears./p  
p dir="ltr"I couldn't believe that Sara wanted me to help her team in solving one of the murder cases they're working on. I always wanted to have an adventure like this presented to me, especially since I'm a huge fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories. But I wasn't sure if this was the right time. 'What would Dr. Kreizler think? What would happen if I take her offer and the doctor finds out? It's clear that none of them wanted him to find me at 808 Broadway.' I thought inside of my head as I sat there. "What about Dr. Kreizler? If all of you think he wouldn't want me at your headquarters, then what makes you think he'll allow me to help you?" I asked curiously. "My point exactly!" John said with a satisfied look on his face. "Then we get him to ask for her assistance ourselves." She replied and my eyebrows went up. I think it might have been the first time that Mr. Moore and I had ever had the same exact facial expression./p  
p dir="ltr"Getting the doctor to ask for my help in this matter seemed almost impossible in my mind. Why would he want to get his housekeeper involved into something dangerous? 'He has Cyrus and Stevie involved.' I thought, but disregarded it. Of course he has them involved; they've known each other longer and have built up a strong foundation of trust. I'm the new addition with limited experience in this kind of thing. I'm not an expert but I knew the real thing is a lot different than what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle writes in his Sherlock Holmes stories. "How?" John and I asked at the same time. "Don't worry about it. I'll think of something." She replied with a far away look in her eyes. I could tell that there was something churning inside of her mind already, but I was still on the same wavelength as John Moore. Deep down I didn't see that anyone could manipulate Dr. Kreizler to do something that they wanted, but I guess Sara knows, or thinks she knows how to do so. After we finished drinking the coffee I had made we said our goodbyes. I went back to cleaning to try and clear my head but to no avail. The entire time I was wondering if any of this was a good idea. I hadn't even officially said that I would help Sara in solving these murders, but I guess she knew I really didn't have to./p  
p dir="ltr"Over the short time we've known each other it was obvious how intrigued murder mysteries make me. 'Perhaps she could convince the doctor to ask me to assist in the case they're working on.' I thought inside of my head as I finished cleaning. I got a few minutes of rest before I started cooking dinner. Stevie came home first and retreated to his bedroom to study, but he returned to the kitchen fairly quickly. To my surprise he brought his schooling books along with him. Apparently he was going to have to take some kind of test next week and needed help studying, so I was pleased to help as I cooked. Cyrus walked into the kitchen from the back door and smiled slightly at what was happening in front of him. Once the food was finished I took a tray into the dinning room where I found Dr. Kreizler. He was reading at the dinner table which was a common occurrence. "Good evening, doctor. I hope you had a good day at the institute." I said as he moved the book aside so I could place his plate in front of him. "Every day we make progress is a good day." He replied in a somewhat detached sounding tone./p  
p dir="ltr"Another thing that wasn't uncommon for him. I asked if he needed anything else and then left when he said that he didn't. When I walked into the kitchen Cyrus finished setting the small table, which made me smile. The three of us ate the meal I had prepared for all of us and made some small talk. I chose not to mention the fact that John and Sara has stopped by, because I knew it would make them worry too much. Stevie talked about a couple of his street friends as we ate. Cyrus spoke about how busy the institute was getting. I suddenly wondered how it was possible for the doctor to juggle the responsibilities of the institute and the investigation. When we finished eating I collected the dishes from the dinning room before washing everything. Stevie went upstairs to study in his bedroom while Cyrus tended to the horses. I had a few things to do still, so I told him not to get the horses ready to take me home just yet. I walked into the setting room to find Dr. Kreizler slumped in a chair beside the fireplace./p  
p dir="ltr"There was a thick book laying in his lap threatening to fall onto the floor at any moment. It was clear that he was asleep due to the slow rhythm of his breathing. As I walked closer to him he mumbled something, which made a smile spread across my face. I was reminded of the time I found him sleeping face down on his desk and the ink that was on his face. Even though I didn't want to wake him up, I had a fear of his falling into the fireplace. So I gently placed my hand on his shoulder in an attempt to rouse him. "Dr. Kreizler." I said softly. He woke with a slight jolt and I couldn't help but feel bad. "Aurora?" He asked in a confused sounding tone. "Yes. It's me." I replied. "What's wrong? Has something happened?" He asked curiously and looking more awake than before. Now that I was face to face with him I noticed the dark circles underneath his beautiful brown eyes. He looked so tired it hurt my soul. "You should go to bed and get some rest, doctor. You look so tired and worn." I said hoping I wasn't overstepping any boundaries./p  
p dir="ltr"He protested and insisted that he needed to get more work done before the night was over. But I insisted a little more forcefully that he should go to sleep, and I honestly think I surprised him. I gently grabbed his left hand, causing him to reluctantly follow me up to his bedroom. "I'm serious. I have things I need to do." He said, yet he didn't seem to resist as much as he had in the beginning. "You need rest. If you don't like it then go ahead and fire me for being concerned for your health." I said and a deep, yet light chuckle escaped his lips. "Very well, but don't get mad or annoyed with me when I show concern for your health and wellbeing." He said as a beautiful smile spread across his handsome face. A smile that made me smile in return. "That seems fair." I replied with a small laugh that made his eyes sparkle./p  
p dir="ltr"I was suddenly aware that I was still holding his large, warm hand when he gently rubbed the back of mine with his thumb. Butterflies filled my stomach and my insides felt all warm and fuzzy. "I should.. um... I should probably go." I said awkwardly. "You could stay." He replied softly. My heart skipped a beat and I'm positive that I was blushing. "Well... I..." I started but my protest was cut short. We made eye contact and I couldn't eve start to describe how weak his big brown eyes made me feel. That combined with him gently rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb was enough to make my heart burst. "Okay... fine, but only if you agree to go to sleep instead of staying up and working." I replied after a few minutes of comfortable silence. He promised that he'd sleep but only if I decided to spend the night instead of going home. After all, that was really the only way I'd know if he got some rest./p  
p dir="ltr"So I walked downstairs and called my brother to let him know I wouldn't be coming back tonight. Henry protested against me staying in the house like he always does, but he knew he couldn't convince me to do something I didn't want to do. Then I made sure to tell Cyrus that he didn't have to book Fredrick and Gwendolyn to the clash. "Spending the night here huh?" Cyrus said as he and I walked back inside through the back door. "Yeah." I replied. "I guess the doctor convinced you to stay." He said with an amused smile on his face. "How did you know?" I asked him curiously. "Goodnight, Aurora." He replied still smiling. I walked back up to Dr. Kreizler's bedroom after I had changed into my pajamas. Before entering the room I knocked on the door and found the doctor laying in bed. He quickly tried to hide the book he had in his hand under his pillow, but he knew he had been caught./p  
p dir="ltr""I thought you said you weren't going to do anymore work if I chose to stay?" I asked as I reached under the pillow to see what book he had been reading. "I read poetry before going to sleep. Would you like for me to read some out loud?" He asked, and I took up on his offer. I laid down on the opposite side of his bed and focused on his pleasantly sounding voice as he read some poems aloud. I felt myself drifting off, but I just didn't have the strength to get up and go back downstairs. Before falling into a deep sleep, I felt something soft and warm brush gently against my forehead./p  
p dir="ltr"strong++++++++++++++/strongbr /strongA/N: Thanks for reading!/strong/p 


	11. Laszlo's Concerns

p dir="ltr"strongAurora's POV:/strong/p  
p dir="ltr"I woke up in a warm bed with soft covers around my body. The sound of soft snoring caught my attention and a brief moment of panic washed over me. But after I had rubbed the sleep from my eyes I soon realized that I wasn't in any danger. Looking around I started to remember that I had agreed to spending the night at Dr. Kreizler's house. However, I didn't expect to be waking up in the doctor's bedroom. 'How did I get here?' I wondered curiously as I slowly moved to face the sleeping form of my employer. He was laying on his back, which I assumed was the most comfortable position he could sleep in considering the fact that his right arm was injured and no doubt caused him pain./p  
p dir="ltr"All of a sudden it dawned on me as to why I had woken up in Dr. Kreizler's bed. 'I must have fallen asleep when he was reading poetry to me.' I said inside of my head. In my own defense... he does have a soothing voice. As I watched the slow rhythmic rise and fall of his chest I couldn't help but notice how peaceful he looked. There was a small smile on his handsome face and I wondered what he was dreaming about. Regrettably, I knew I had to get up and get started with the day. I didn't have the heart to wake him up so I slowly got out of bed and quietly headed downstairs. On my way, I hope I didn't run into Cyrus or Stevie. I didn't want then to assume anything had happened between the doctor and I. I also didn't want them asking questions, because if they did I'd be a blushing mess. With a sigh of relief I reached the bedroom I should have slept in last night without bumping into anyone. After closing the door behind me, I changed into a pair of medium brown colored pants as well as a white buttoned shirt. Once I was dressed I walked into the kitchen and started making breakfast. I knew that my friends would be coming down to get started on their work any minute. The image of Dr. Kreizler sleeping made my insides feel warm and a small smile spread across my face as I continued cooking./p  
p dir="ltr"A few moments passed before Cyrus entered the kitchen looking a little sleepy. "Morning, Aurora." He said as he made his way over to pour himself a freshly brewed cup of coffee. "Good morning Cyrus." I replied happily. The two of us made small talk before he went outside to tend to the horses. A couple of seconds later Stevie came in to get himself a cup of coffee as well before heading out to the stables as well. Once breakfast was ready I prepared a tray to take to Dr. Kreizler. When I walked into the dinning room I noticed that he wasn't there waiting for me to button his boots. So I sat the tray on the dinning table and headed upstairs to see if he was still sleeping. I lightly knocked on the doors, but I didn't get a response so I decided to walk in and see if he was okay. He was exactly where I had left him. I quietly walked towards his side of the bed and figured I better wake him up, even if he didn't have to go into the institute today. "Wake up sleepy head." I said softly as I gently moved some of his disheveled hair./p  
p dir="ltr"A small little groan escaped his lips as he stretched slightly. When he opened his eyes I smiled. He looked so cute I just wanted to cuddle him. "Hey, breakfast is ready." I said in response to the questioning look in his beautiful eyes. "I'll be down in a minute." He said as he struggled to regain control of his foggy mind and press his drowsiness away. I left him to get dressed and went downstairs into the sitting room. When he came into the room he sat down in the usual chair he sits in for me to button his shoes. "Did you sleep well? I know I probably should have woke you up so you could have slept in you're room, but... you looked so peaceful." He said, and my insides warmed. "It's fine, Dr. Kreizler. I know you meant no harm, besides... I... I slept wonderfully." I replied, feeling myself blush and hoped he didn't notice. He flashed me one of his cute small smiles I've grown to love due to the warm fuzzy feelings they give me. He thanked me for buttoning his boots before he sat down at the dinning table to eat th breakfast I had made. I returned to the kitchen and filled my plate with food as well as pouring myself a hot cup of coffee. The day went as normally as any other day, which was comforting./p  
p dir="ltr"Dr. Kreizler spent his time in his study while Cyrus and Stevie helped me clean. They didn't have to help, but they insisted on doing so. After lunch Sara Howard, John Moore, and the Isaacson brothers came by to pay the doctor a visit. I don't think it was an expected visit either judging by the look on Dr. Kreizler's face when I told him they had arrived. I lead them into the sitting room and asked if they u were in need of any kind of refreshments. "Yes, I think I'll take a very large whiskey." John said with a look of desperation in his eyes. 'This can't be a social call.' I thought and it gave me anxiety. I had a feeling what this emvisit /emwas all about, and I wasn't so sure if it was right time. I glanced at Sara with a warming look in my eyes and then back to John to make sure they got the message. However, I don't think it mattered much regardless if they caught the message or not./p  
p dir="ltr"Sara had made up her mind and nothing was going to stop her. So Dr. Kreizler poured John a glass of whiskey and I left the sitting room, closing the door behind me. "This isn't going to end well." I whispered to Cyrus and he seemed to catch my meaning. I went back to cleaning but it was soon interrupted. "Hey, come here. They're taking about you." Stevie whisper yelled and motioned for me to join him in his eavesdropping. I didn't feel comfortable with listening in on private conversations, but my curiosity got the better of me. "What do you mean Aurora is interested in the case? I haven't spoken of it around her." He said the last part as if realisation hit him. "John and I told her about the case, doctor. Forgive me for overstepping any boundaries but she can help us... I'm sure of it." Sara replied. "Don't look at me like that, Laszlo. I was dragged into all of this. Let the record show that emI /emdidn't want to tell her about anything." John said, and I figured that Dr. Kreizler had given John an accusing look./p  
p dir="ltr"A long moment of silence passed between the occupants of the sitting room. You could feel the tension through the door. Judging by Stevie's expression he seemed a little nervous himself. "What exactly did she say when you told her of the case?" Dr. Kreizler broke the silence and I imagined that he was pacing the room as he waited for a response. "She just said that the murders were intriguing, nothing more." John lied. I was all for the idea of helping them but I didn't want to get involved with the case unless the doctor didn't want me to. He has been so kind and generous to me; I don't want to ruin the friendship that has been growing between us. "I just don't want her to get hurt. I don't want... I don't want her to end up like Mary." He said in a sad sounding voice that broke my heart. "With all do respect sir, but Mary wasn't involved in the Beecham case at all, and yet..." Lucius Isaacson's voice broke in on the conversation for the first time. Another moment of silence filled the house as if everyone had been holding their breath. When I finally realized that I was, I let the air out of my lungs./p  
p dir="ltr""Allow me some time to think about it. She is her own woman after all. Even though she is my employee she isn't one of my patients. Besides... Cyrus and Stevie know every detail about the case." Dr. Kreizler said. I could hear footsteps and hurried into the kitchen with Stevie not far behind me. The two of us joined Cyrus who had made a fresh pot of strong coffee. In hushed tones we relayed everything we had heard. "What are you going to do? I mean... if the doctor allows you to chose for yourself?" Cyrus asked me curiously, and I honestly didn't know. I hadn't thought that through./p  
p dir="ltr"Everyone went to Delmonico's for dinner that night; everyone except for me. I didn't feel like being around a large crowd of people, and I still had a lot of work to do before I could call it a night. When the doctor returned he entered the kitchen in his dinner jacket and fancy clothes. He took his left hand and gently rubbed his right arm with a slight pained expression on his face. Seeing him in pain hurt my heart and soul. "Doctor, I think I have something that might help your arm feel a bit better during the night. I made it a few days ago and forgot to give it to you." I said before I quickly entered the room I occasionally sleep in when I stay over. I retrieved the round tin of balm that I made especially for him./p  
p dir="ltr""What is it?" He asked me curiously and I told him. It was mixture of herbs that helps joint pain. To my surprise he was actually willing to try it. The two of us walked into the sitting room and he removed his jacket, vest, and half of his white buttoned shirt. I feel myself blush when my eyes caressed his half naked upper body. It reminded me of the first time I saw him without a shirt... the first time I noticed his withered arm. This time I couldn't help but notice little freckles that covered his body, as well as his hairy chest that turned into a perfect little trail that lead down to his bellybutton. "Do you trust me to apply the balm to your arm?" I asked in a soft tone. "I trust you, Aurora." He replied just as soft, causing my insides to feel all warm and fuzzy. I took some of the balm out of the tin and warmed it up in my hands. Then I gently wrapped one of my hands around the upper portion of his right arm. It felt just as small as it looked, and I could tell that there wasn't any muscle mass in the arm either./p  
p dir="ltr"With both hands, I gently applied the medicine and made sure there was enough on his elbow and wrist joints. As I did so I spotted a few scars on his arm, especially around his forearm and wrist. It took me a moment to realize they were most likely self inflicted wounds. "Doctor?" I said in a questioning, yet sympathetic tone as I barely ran my fingers across the scars. When we made eye contact I could see a deep sadness in those big brown orbs of his. "I'm not proud of it, but... it helped me cope with the heartache at the time." He said as a small sad smile spread across his face briefly. Tears welled up in my eyes and I felt a few of them slip down my cheeks. Knowing he felt so broken and helpless that he hurt himself just crushed me. "Hey, don't." He whispered as he stood up and reached towards my face. With his thumb he gently wiped the tears away. Instead of returning his hand to his side, he kept his hand just underneath my chin and gently stroked my jawline with his thumb./p  
p dir="ltr""You have the most beautiful big brown eyes I've ever seen." He whispered and I felt butterflies fluttering in my stomach. We inched closer and closer until I could feel his warm breath against my skin. My body ached for him to kiss me. His lips looked so warm and inviting, but I was too nervous to make a move. He moved just close enough for our noses to touch before the kitchen door closed loudly, making both of us jump. I felt my face burning with embarrassment. My heart was beating wildly in my chest; it was beating so hard I thought it was going to burst! "I've got the calash ready for Aurora when she's ready." Cyrus said as he entered the room. Dr. Kreizler struggled to get his withered arm back into the sleeve of his shirt, so I helped him./p  
p dir="ltr""Am I interrupting anything?" Cyrus asked curiously. "No, Aurora was just applying some pain soothing balm to my arm. If I'm lucky it'll stop or at least dull the pain during the night, helping me sleep better." Dr. Kreizler replied with a small smile. The two of us said goodnight to each other; as we did so I noticed that he was blushing, and it made me feel warm inside. During the ride home all I could think about was the fact that I was falling in love with my employer. I desperately hoped that he was falling in love with me too, and the kiss we almost shared wasn't just a spur of the moment thing. Because if he doesn't have feelings for me it'll break my heart./p  
p dir="ltr"strong+++++++++++++++++++/strongbr /strongA/N: Thanks for reading! I'm sorry for the long wait between updates, but I hope this chapter was worth the wait. 3/strong/p 


	12. Just The Two of Us

p dir="ltr"strongAurora's POV: /strong/p  
p dir="ltr""What has gotten into you? You've been smiling all morning." My brother Henry asked me curiously as I got ready to leave for work. To be honest... I was smiling because I couldn't get what had happened last night out of my head. Replaying the memory in my mind made me smile and blush. Dr. Kreizler and I almost kissed each other. I knew how inappropriate it would be to kiss my employer, but... if he truly has feelings for me as well then I wasn't going to fight it. "It's just a nice day." I replied with a small smile. "It's raining." Henry said with a raised eyebrow. "Well, unlike most people, I for one enjoy the rain." I said before I was officially ready to leave. My brother and I said our goodbyes before I headed off to the doctor's home./p  
p dir="ltr"Butterflies filled my stomach at the thought of seeing Dr. Kreizler today. When I reached my destination I brewed coffee and started cooking breakfast. Like always, Cyrus and Stevie soon joined me. They drank a cup of coffee but they didn't go outside to the stables. When I asked them why they weren't getting the calash ready, they said that the doctor wasn't going into the institute today. "Is he not feeling well?" I asked curiously. I hoped he wasn't sick or anything. "Oh, no. His colleagues actually forced him to take a day off to get some rest." Cyrus said before taking a sip of his coffee. "When he says colleagues, he means us. Including Miss Howard and Mr. Moore." Stevie said, causing a smile to spread across my face./p  
p dir="ltr"I was glad his friends were making him get some rest; he deserves it, but I doubt that his mind was at rest even if his body was. Once the food was finished I put it into a tray and headed into the sitting room where I found Dr. Kreizler waiting for me to button his boots. I sat the tray down on the dinning room table before I started doing my other routinely duties. "Do you have any plans for tonight?" He asked, taking me off guard from a moment. "No, why?" I replied. "Because I have tickets to the opera and I was... well... I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me." He said with one of his cute little smiles. I think he knew what those smiles did to me, and now he was just doing them on purpose. I'm not complaining though. "Sure, I'd love to spend time with you and the others tonight. We haven't gone out together in a while." I said, assuming that John, Sara, and th Isaacson brothers were joining us./p  
p dir="ltr"I was hoping we'd all get to go to the opera again soon, and he just made my wishes come true. "Actually... I had the intention of just you and I going out tonight. But if you wish not to go without the others-" He said, but I cut him off. "That's fine. I don't mind being alone with you." I replied, which made him smile even more than before. I finished buttoning his boots and he sat down at the dinning table to eat his breakfast. I walked into the kitchen and joined my friends in eating some breakfast as well. I washed the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. After a while Dr. Kreizler asked Cyrus and Stevie to go run some errands for him, which left the doctor and I all alone. I was going to get started cleaning a few of the rooms, but he stopped me. The two of us ended up in his study reading poetry together. I should have been dusting and whatnot, but when he asked me to follow him to his study I couldn't say no./p  
p dir="ltr"I really couldn't say no when he flashed those puppy dog eyes at me; I was like putty in his hands. We were on one of the couches he had in the room, which was very comfortable. His head was laying in my lap as I read out of the book I was holding. When I looked down at him I saw that his eyes were closed and a small smile was on his handsome face. My insides felt warm and fuzzy at the sight. Beyond my better judgement, I ended up gently tangling my fingers in his soft hair. A small noise sounded in his throat, but it wasn't the kind of noise that told me to stop. So I kept playing with his hair as I read more from the book I had been holding. Eventually I stopped reading all together, because he kept frowning each time I removed my hand from his head to turn a page. The sound of the rain hitting the windowsill was so relaxing./p  
p dir="ltr"A part of me wished we were in the sitting room next to the fireplace, but I figured it was better that we were in his study. That way Cyrus and Stevie wouldn't be able to just walk in on us, even though I think they know something is going on between the doctor and I. "Dr. Kreizler..." I said, trailing off slightly. "Call me Laszlo." He replied softly in a tone I couldn't quite decipher, but it made my insides melt. "Laszlo, I think Cyrus and Stevie are back." I said. The sound of the front door caught my attention, and I think it caught his as well. He slowly opened his eyes and a warm look filled them when they met mine. "It looks like our little sanctuary has been interrupted." He said with a hint of disappointment in his voice. "It looks like it has... but we still have the opera tonight." I replied, with a smile and he smiled as well. I was really looking forward to seeing whatever the Metropolitan had in store for us./p  
p dir="ltr""That we do," He said as he sat up to face me properly. "And I have no intentions of letting you go home to your apartment afterwards." He said, gently brushing my cheek with his thumb. I blushed and my heart felt like it was going to burst. "If you weren't such a gentleman I would have thought that was some kind of sexual advance towards me." I said and his eyes got wide with worry and I spotted a hint of panic. "Oh, no. I just meant that I was going to take you to Delmonico's for dinner afterwards. And... if you want to... you can spend the night here. I apologize if what I said came off differently." He said as his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "I know what you meant. You don't have to apologize." I said softly. I cautiously raised my hand to the side of his face and stroked his beard. The worry and panic in his eyes melted away. I found myself just looking at him and admiring how handsome he was./p  
p dir="ltr"A knock on the door ruined the moment. "Doctor, have you sent Aurora home for the day? I can't find her anywhere." Cyrus's deep, yet friendly sounding voice said on the other side of the study door. "No, she's in here helping me organize some of my books. Did you need her for something?" Dr. Kreizler said with a playful look in his eyes. "I could use an extra hand with bringing things inside, but you need her I'm sure Stevie and I can manage." Cyrus replied. "It's fine, Cyrus. I can let you borrow her for the moment." He said before he placed his hand over mine. To my surprise and delight, he left a soft kiss on my wrist. The small gesture made my heart skip a beat. I left the study and followed Cyrus downstairs and outside to the calash. The rain had cut back to a light mist as he, Stevie, and I carried groceries and whatnot into the house. Once we were finished I made us something to eat for lunch. After eating, I cleaned a couple of rooms./p  
p dir="ltr"It passed the time but it didn't keep me from thinking about Dr. Kreizler. He seemed to have feelings for me, but something told me it could just be some kind of platonic affection. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who has had a lot of experience in the relationship department, unlike his friend John Moore. But I think that's one of the reasons that drew me to the doctor; I have very little experience with relationships as well. Time seemed to fly by and before I knew it it was time for me to get ready for the opera. I changed into the dress Sara had helped me pick out a few months ago, and stepped out into the foyer to wait for Dr. Kreizler. When he walked downstairs I couldn't help but stare. He looked so handsome. We walked outside and I was relieved that the rain had stopped completely. The ride to the Metropolitan didn't take long but it felt like it took forever to get to the doctor's box./p  
p dir="ltr"It was like there were ten times the usual people at the opera tonight. I wasn't entirely sure if all of them would be able to find seats. A few men and women stared at me as we cut through the crowd, which made me uncomfortable. I breathed a sigh of relief once we were away from the noise and people. He and I sat next to each other and waited as people filled the seats below as well as the various boxes lining the walls of the opera house. Eventually the show began, and the crowd went silent. I was enjoying the music but I kept getting distracted by Dr. Kreizler. He had a smile on his face and his beautiful eyes were sparkling with happiness. "Why are you watching me for? Is the show not interesting to you?" He whispered softly to me. "No, it's interesting. I... I just..." I said, not really able to explain why I was watching him instead of the wonderful opera that was taking place on stage./p  
p dir="ltr"My face heated up with embarrassment when he turned and studied me with his big brown eyes. I looked down at the stage after a few minutes of him and I just staring at each other. When the opera ended, we left our box and fought through the crowds of people again. Within a few minutes or so we were on our way to Delmonico's for dinner. Once we reached our second destination of the night, we sat at one of the tables and ordered our meals. "Aurora, there's more than one reason why I wanted to be alone with you tonight." Dr. Kreizler said, breaking the silence. I had a feeling our outing wasn't just a social occasion or an opportunity for us to get to enjoy each other's company one on one. But I wasn't sure what his hidden purpose was until now. "Miss Howard says that you have an interest in the case she has been working on./p  
p dir="ltr"Is that true?" He said, filling the silence as we waited on our food. I hesitated for a brief moment before I spoke up. "Yes, it's true." I replied. I told him how Sara had dragged John with her to his home when he was at the institute. I let him know that they had told me the details about the mass murders as well. "Then why didn't you get involved in the investigation when she asked for your help?" Laszlo asked me with slightly furrowed brows, but I'm sure he knew the answer. "Because I didn't know if you'd be okay with it or not. I know I'm free to make my own decisions, but it didn't feel right to partake in something that you might not approve of. I guess... it's because I have respect for you and your judgement. I didn't want to get fired from the only job I've ever enjoyed doing either." I said the last part awkwardly, which caused him to smile./p  
p dir="ltr"Waiters arrived with out meals and a comfortable moment of silence passed between us as we ate. "I wouldn't have fired you for getting involved. I do appreciate that you value my opinion by the way." He said as some of that sparkle returned to his eyes. After we finished eating we climbed into the calash one last time for the evening. Cyrus asked if he was going to be dropping me off at my apartment, but I said no. When we returned to the doctor's home Cyrus had an amused smile plastered on his face and I tried not to blush. 'He knows something's going on between Laszlo and I.' I thought, feeling a little anxious. I went into the small room I use and changed into my nightgown. After wrapping a robe around my body, I walked upstairs to help Dr. Kreizler with the balm I put on his arm last night. I knocked on his bedroom door and he said I could come in. He had changed into a nightgown as well./p  
p dir="ltr"The two of us sat on his bed and I rolled up the lose fitting sleeve on his right arm. Then I warmed up some of the balm in my hands before applying it. When I was finished I started to leave, but he gently grabbed my hand. "We... we could read poetry together." He said with a pleading look in his eyes that I couldn't say no to. So I removed my robe and climbed into bed with him as he grabbed a book from his bedside table. This time he read from the book, making me feel calm and relaxed. He noticed that I was starting to get sleepy and sat the book aside. My insides melted when he kissed my forehead. Then he gently nudged my nose with his, causing butterflies to flutter in my stomach. I snuggled into his chest and breathed in his comforting scent before I fell into a deep sleep./p  
p dir="ltr"strong+++++++++++++/strongbr /strongA/N: Thanks for reading!/strong/p 


	13. The Investigation

p dir="ltr"strongAurora's POV: /strong/p  
p dir="ltr"I woke up and found Laszlo sitting up in bed with his back facing me. I didn't want him to get out of bed just yet, so I rose up and inched closer to him. "Good morning." I said softly after I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "Good morning sweetheart." He whispered softly./p  
p dir="ltr"He placed one of his hands on my arm and gently rubbed my wrist with his thumb. "Laszlo, can I ask you a question?" I asked him curiously after a moment of comfortable silence. "Sure. You can ask me anything you want." He replied and I could hear the smile in his voice. "Is this real? What's happening between us... is it real?" I asked, feeling nervous as hell./p  
p dir="ltr"I was so worried that all of this was just platonic affection on his end, and I was the only one falling in love. He slowly and gently removed my arms from around him before he turned so we were facing each other. "It's real for me, but... is it real for you?" He said in a soft tone with a mixture of emotions churning in his beautiful eyes./p  
p dir="ltr""Could you love half a man?" He whispered softly. I knew he was referring to his withered arm, and it hurt. Especially since I've never thought of him as half a man. "You're no less of a man due to your injury, Laszlo. Personally... I think you're twice the man because of it." I said softly. His eyes filled with love and warmth after hearing what I said./p  
p dir="ltr""What's happening between us is real for me too." I whispered. He slowly closed the distance between us and our noses touched. My heart skipped a beat and butterflies fluttered inside of my stomach. I could feel his warm breath against my skin, which made me want him to kiss me even more than I already did./p  
p dir="ltr"He gently captured my lips with his and my insides melted instantly. I gently kissed him back, hoping I was doing it right; I've never kissed anyone before. His lips felt so soft and warm against mine, making me melt into the kiss. I gently placed one of my hands on the side of his face and played with his soft beard./p  
p dir="ltr"We slowly broke the kiss and I felt myself blush when we made eye contact. His big brow orbs had a look in them that made me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. The only way I can describe them as are adoring puppy eyes. I'm sure I was probably looking at him the same way. "I love you, Laszlo." I whispered. One of his cute smiles spread across his handsome face before he spoke up. "I love you too, Aurora." He said softly as he gently caressed my cheek./p  
p dir="ltr"I don't think I've ever been this happy in my entire life. I could hardly believe that someone as handsome and as sweet as him actually loves me back. The two of us cuddled for a few more minutes before we got ready for the day. I almost forgot that today I was officially being brought in on the case Sara and the others were working on./p  
p dir="ltr"Deep down I wasn't sure if I was cut out for this investigation stuff, but I knew it would be very interesting and fun. I also knew that if I ever wanted to back out it was perfectly fine. Honestly, I don't think Laszlo would complain about be not wanting to be involved at all. But I couldn't deny my interest in the matter./p  
p dir="ltr"After I got dressed I made some coffee and breakfast for us all. The whole time I don't think I was able to prevent the smile that was on my face. And I couldn't help but blush as I buttoned Laszlo's boots. It was like something changed in me knowing that he loves me the same way I love him./p  
p dir="ltr"But I had to press my pleasant thoughts to the back of my mind for the time being. I don't think either one of us were really ready to tell the others about our blossoming relationship. At least not yet anyway. After I made breakfast and buttoned Laszlo's boots, we all got into the calash and headed to 808 Broadway. I wasn't as nervous I thought I would be, but maybe that's because I knew I was going to be amongst friends./p  
p dir="ltr"When we arrived at our destination we entered the building and got into the elevator. Marcus had been waiting on us since the elevator operates on a pulley system. "Good morning Dr. Kreizler, Cyrus, Stevie, and Miss Perish." Marcus said with a kind smile. "Please, call me Aurora." I said with a smile. I knew their formalities was just a expression of respect and kindness, but I've always felt strange when people call me Miss Perish./p  
p dir="ltr"The elevator stopped and Marcus pulled the grate open for us to enter the room. Lucius, John, and Sara were sitting at their desks looking over papers. The chalkboard I spotted the last time I was here looked as if there was more handwriting on it than before. That meant they had found more information about the case they're working on./p  
p dir="ltr"John looked up first and took the opportunity of getting away from the mundane task he was pursuing. "Finally! I almost thought you lot weren't going to show up at all." He said, but a charming smile spread across his face, which made each of us smile in return. "Pardon us for our lateness." Laszlo said as we walked further into the room. After I was offered a seat, I sat down and listened to what the others had to tell me./p  
p dir="ltr"Sara and Laszlo refreshed me with the facts of the mass murders, which I was grateful for. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since Sara first told me the details of the matter. "So, as you can see... we're at a stalemate." John said looking exhausted and irritated. I sort of sympathized with him. I sympathized with all of them./p  
p dir="ltr"It must feel horrible when you're trying to get to the bottom of something and hit a brick wall. I sat there and mulled over the information that had been given to me. There was an awful lot to process and yet not enough at the same time. As the others talked amongst themselves I stood up and walked over to one of the large windows./p  
p dir="ltr"The carriages and people who were passing by seemed to push my train of thought forward in a strange sort of way. "Poisoning." I mumbled under my breath. "What?" Stevie asked curiously. He was sitting in the nearby windowsill taking in the view of the city. "Did they find any traces of poison in the victims?" I asked loudly so my friends could hear me./p  
p dir="ltr""No, but many poisons are still untraceable. The technology to detect them doesn't exist just yet." Lucius replied. "Exactly! What if it's an untraceable poison. None of them looked as if they had died of a gun shot wound, stab wound, or blunt force trauma." I said with furrowed brows. "The poison would have been placed in the food or drink they consumed." Laszlo said, writing a few details down on the chalkboard./p  
p dir="ltr"Hours went by of just talking and theorizing. Laszlo ordered some food from Delmonico's, which Stevie and Cyrus brought from the restaurant. The food was delicious. But the entire time I was eating I kept looking over the various reports they were able to obtain on the murders. They were mysterious, but I had a strong feeling the families were being poisoned./p  
p dir="ltr"I just didn't know how. It seemed as if the only way we would find out if there was another mass murder. I think my friends were thinking the same thing. We spent all day at 808 Broadway, and I figured Laszlo took a day off from going into the institute; Otherwise he wouldn't have been here. As the sun sunk in the sky we decided to call it a night. But not after we ate dinner at a lovely cafe./p  
p dir="ltr""Welcome to the team, Aurora. I have a feeling you'll be very useful in our efforts to catch this killer." Lucius said, and his brother Marcus agreed. It was almost surprising that the brothers agreed on someone, especially since they almost always seem to bicker about everything. "Hopefully we won't scare her off with our investigative methods." John said with a smile./p  
p dir="ltr""If we haven't scared her off by now I think there's a strong chance that she's here to stay. I mean, look at us. We're a bunch of misfits who band together to solve bizarre crimes." Stevie said, which made us laugh. "He has a point." I admitted. Once we said our goodbyes I climbed into the calash and Laszlo followed me./p  
p dir="ltr"The quiet that settled in was occupied by the sound of horse hooves on cobble stone. I watched as the city came to life with less than savory activity, which was a common occurrence. It wasn't any surprise to anyone who lives here in New York. "Do you wish to go home, or will you be spending the night at my house?" Laszlo asked, taking me out of my thoughts./p  
p dir="ltr"Deep down I wanted to stay with Laszlo tonight, but I was also aware that I hadn't stayed at the apartment in a while. I figured my brother would start to think that I've moved out. So I decided to go home. During the Laszlo and I held hands; I loved the way our hands fit perfectly like a puzzle piece./p  
p dir="ltr"He gently caressed my hand with his thumb, which made my insides feel so warm. I wanted so badly to rest my head on his shoulder, but I didn't want to risk Stevie or Cyrus seeing us. When we reached the apartment I slowly let go of Laszlo's hand before we said goodnight to each other./p  
p dir="ltr"As I walked inside I wished I would have stayed with at the doctor's place. I could hear my brother and his friends acting like buffoons. To my disgust Francis was there. He and my brother were drunk as skunks. "Oh, hello! Did you finally decide to come home?" Henry said giggling like a mad man./p  
p dir="ltr"I knew that Francis was the one who brought the alcohol and coerced my brother into drinking with him. "What the hell!?" I said as I noticed the empty beer and whiskey bottles strewn about the place. "What do you mean? Has spending time with that emdoctor/em made you all stuck up?" Henry asked, slurring his speech. "No. And that emdoctor/em is someone you look up to." I replied./p  
p dir="ltr""Dr. Kreizler, the infamous and secretly psychotic child murder." Francis said. He howled at his own tasteless joke. I couldn't believe that some people honestly believed that Dr. Kreizler had something to do with that little boy's suicide, Just because he stayed at his institute. It made me so angry./p  
p dir="ltr""That's it! You aren't allowed back into this apartment!" I said with venom in my voice. I forcefully pulled Francis out of the chair he was sitting in and he fell to the floor. It was clear he wasn't going to walk, so I dragged him with all of my strength. It took a long time to get him outside, but I managed it. "You can't do this." Francis slurred./p  
p dir="ltr""Watch me." I replied before I slammed the door closed and locked it behind me. I wasn't just angry due to the comment he made about Laszlo. I was angry because of the way he was treating my brother. Francis has been using Henry since the day they met and I was fed up!/p  
p dir="ltr"My brother was on the couch passed out when I came back into the room. I felt sorry for him. Sorry that he had to seek validation from someone as cold and unloving as Francis. I grabbed a blanket and covered Henry's body so he didn't get cold. After dragging one man around I didn't think I'd have the strength to carry Henry to his room./p  
p dir="ltr"While my brother slept I cleaned up all of the empty bottles that were laying around. Then I called Dr. Kreizler's residence. I wanted to let him know that I was probably going to come in late tomorrow morning. I needed to set up at watch my brother to make sure he didn't die during the night from alcohol poisoning./p  
p dir="ltr"So I brewed a pot of coffee to keep me going and grabbed a book to occupy my mind. I didn't want to lose my brother, especially since he and I are the last of our family. I pushed my melancholic thoughts to the side and focused on the words in the book in front of me./p  
p dir="ltr"strong+++++++++++/strongbr /strongA/N: Thanks for reading! Sorry for the long wait, I hope you enjoyed this chapter./strong/p 


	14. More Murders

p dir="ltr"strongAurora's /strongstrongPOV: /strong/p  
p dir="ltr"My eyes were sore from rubbing them so much. I managed to stay up a full twenty four hours, which is something I've never done before. Movement on the couch caught my attention; my brother Henry was just starting to wake up. He groaned as he sat up and rubber his eyes and face with his hands. "Oh god. What the hell happened last night?" He moaned pitifully. I knew he had a hangover, which meant he was most likely feeling horrible./p  
p dir="ltr""Your friend Francis managed to get you inebriated last night. From the amount of bottles that were on the floor I'm surprised neither of you got alcohol poisoning." I said in a soft tone, but loud enough so he could hear me. I poured him a fresh cup of hot coffee to sober him up, which he thanked me for. He asked me lots of questions even though he was visibly in pain./p  
p dir="ltr""You kicked Francis out and told him never to come back?" He asked with slightly furrowed brows. "Yes. He isn't good for you Henry. I know you desperately want him to be your friend, but he isn't a nice person. He just uses you to get a free ride in school." I said, and to my surprise he agreed with me. Maybe it had to do with the hangover he was currently suffering from./p  
p dir="ltr"Something could have happened yesterday though that made him realized what a pompous ass Francis really is. After making sure my brother was alright, I quickly washed up and put on a fresh pair of clothes. My body was protesting my every move but I needed to go to work. I didn't want it to seem like I was taking advantage of my employer's feelings for me./p  
p dir="ltr"So I got a cab and headed to Laszlo's home to attend to my housekeeping duties. When I reached my destination I slowly managed to get inside of the house. To my surprise no one seemed to be home. But when I saw the note on the kitchen table, I realized that everyone was at 808 Broadway. Instead of getting another cab, I decided to walk. I figured the walk would do me some good./p  
p dir="ltr"All the cups of coffee I had during the night were wearing off, and I had a whole day to get through. 'At least I don't feel as miserable as my brother.' I thought, which made me feel a bit better. When I reached 808 Broadway I took the stairs and found Sara making tea in the little kitchen that was near the back stairway. "My goodness, you look like death warmed up." Sara gasped at the sight of me./p  
p dir="ltr""Thanks Sara. That does wonders for my self confidence." I joked, which caused a small smile to spread across her face. There was still serious concern in her eyes though. She offered me a strong cup of tea and I thanked her. "Do you need help?" I asked her as we walked into the other room. "No, I think I can manage." She replied. Honestly I think she was more worried that I'd drop something in my tired state./p  
p dir="ltr"Stevie was in his usual windowsill while John smoked at his desk. The Isaacson brothers were standing near the chalkboard with Laszlo. "The doctor was going to call you to say you didn't have to come in today. But... as you can see... he kinda got carried away." Cyrus said in his deep baritone voice that always seemed to have a calming effect. "It's okay. I don't mind being here with all of you, even if I am tired." I replied with a small smile./p  
p dir="ltr"John suddenly noticed me and put out his cigarette before walking over to where I was standing. "Hello, Aurora. It's nice to see you." He said with a charming smile on his face. I could tell he was tired, but I had a feeling he got more rest than I did last night. "You mean you're glad she's here so you have an excuse to take a break from your assigned work." Sara replied with a raised brow, which made me smile a little. It seemed to amuse Cyrus as well./p  
p dir="ltr"John rolled his eyes as she caught the attention of the others. The Isaacson brothers said their hellos and so did Stevie once he joined our little group. "How is your brother? I hope he's doing well." Laszlo asked after everyone had a cup of tea in their hand. "He's alright, but I doubt he feels like it." I replied. I didn't wanna tell him that my brother had been blindly drunk last night./p  
p dir="ltr"I didn't want him to get the wrong impression; Henry is a really responsible and respectable man when he isn't influenced by outside forces. Thankfully he won't be having to worry about Francis very much anymore. With any luck he'll leave my brother alone completely. At least that's what I've been hoping for anyway. br /Laszlo said he was glad my brother was doing alright, and that he wished he could have told me to stay home. It was probably obvious to everyone that I was tired from the way I looked. But I didn't mind being here with my friends. As John and the Isaacson brothers talked, Sara looked over the big chalkboard. Cyrus and Stevie was looking out of one of the large windows./p  
p dir="ltr"A warm look filled Laszlo's beautiful eyes and I had to fight the urge to wrap my arms around him. No one knows that he and I are more that friends now. I wasn't ready for them to know just yet anyway, because neither of us were sure of our relationship would work out. Not only are we employer and employee, but the stress of this investigation might take toll on us./p  
p dir="ltr"Deep down I didn't want what was happening around us to interfere with our budding relationship, but that was foolish. It was going to interfere with everyone's lives rather we likes it or not. I pressed thoughts to the back of my mind as they started debating over the facts of the case again. Sara asked if I could assist John with his assignment, and I said yes./p  
p dir="ltr"John seemed to really the mundane bits of investigation work, but I didn't blame him. Doing paper work would be boring when you'd rather be out on the streets chasing down the killer. The day seemed to drag by and my tiredness only increased. Laszlo seemed to notice because he told everyone to stop for the day. I ended up checking in on my brother before going to the doctor's home./p  
p dir="ltr"I wanted to make sure Henry was doing alright. Once I was sure he'd be alright on his own for the rest of the day, I found myself in Laszlo's bed. "No, you need rest. I won't have you cooking dinner in the state you're in; you could hurt yourself." He said after I insisted that I was okay. I knew he was right though. My eyelids felt heavy and I could barely function. "Fine." I replied with a sigh. br /He made sure I was cozy in his big bed with his soft covers and mountain of pillows. "Stay." I said in a voice that kinda sounded whiny. A beautiful smile spread across his handsome face as a warm look filled his big brown eyes. "Alright, but I'll only stay until you fall asleep. I still have some work that needs to be done." He replied sweetly./p  
p dir="ltr"Laszlo gently climbed into bed beside of me, but he didn't join me underneath the covers. Once he was comfortable I snuggled closer to his warm body and breathed in his comforting scent. The way he gently caressed my cheek with his thumb, lulled me into a deep sleep. The next thing I knew I was being woken up by gentle rubs on my back. "Wake up, we have to get going." Laszlo's voice said./p  
p dir="ltr""What's wrong?" I asked him curiously as I turned over on my side and rubbed my eyes. "There's been another one. Another murder. We have to get to the scene before the whole police force gets there, or we won't be able to collect any evidence." He said, and I felt as if all of my sleepiness had been drained our of me. Excitement filled my veins as a trickle of anxiety soured my stomach./p  
p dir="ltr"I threw the covers off me and hurried into the bathroom to straighten up my messy hair. Then I was running down the stairs to meet the others in the clash. Stevie was sitting on top with Cyrus, and as soon as I closed the carriage door we took off with a jolt. I barely had enough time to even sit down before we were flying down the street at top speed./p  
p dir="ltr"We tore around street corners haphazardly, but Laszlo seemed untethered by the dangerous speed we were traveling at. That gave the impression that he was use to this kind of thing. "Don't worry. Stevie has never overturned a carriage in his entire career of working for me, and I doubt that he'll start any time soon." Laszlo said, obviously reading my facial expression./p  
p dir="ltr"During the carriage ride I snuggled into his side and closed my eyes as I breathed in his scent. Being with him seemed to calm my nerves a bit. All of a sudden we came to a skidding hault, and I assumed we had reached our destination. When we got out of the calash I saw that there was a few lights on in the house we were parked next to. "Thank god you're here. The Isaacson brothers are already inside looking around. You better get inside." John said, jogging up to us./p  
p dir="ltr""Cyrus and Stevie, stay with Mr. Moore and keep an eye out for the police. If you see them let us know as soon as possible so we can get out of here." Laszlo said to the two of them "Certainly, doctor." Cyrus replied. Stevie just nodded once in response. I followed Laszlo inside and took notice that the place looked... normal, so normal that it felt eerie./p  
p dir="ltr"Nothing seemed out of place, which meant there wasn't a forced entry. Sara met us in one of the hallways and lead us into a large dinning room. The scene that my eyes fell upon was so odd that it took me a few minutes to realize what I was seeing. Five people were sitting at the dinning room table. The only indications that showed they were all dead was the way they were seated./p  
p dir="ltr"Each of them had their faces planted on the surface of the mahogany tabletop. Marcus and Lucius were conducting evidence samples. Laszlo was asking the brothers multiple questions, but I didn't hear a word they were saying. The whole scene was just so... strange. "Where's the kitchen?" I asked Sara once I regained some train of thought./p  
p dir="ltr""Through here." She said before she lead me through a side door near the back of the room. The kitchen was hot and full of many different aromas, which told me that a meal had been recently cooked. There wasn't any light in this room, but the bright fill moon aided in that particular area. One wall was practically made of windows, and the whitish blue glow of the moon illuminated the entire kitchen./p  
p dir="ltr"As I looked around I didn't notice anything interesting until I opened the icebox. Inside were two tell tale signs of what might have killed the poor unfortunate people in the room we had just been in. "Did you find anything?" Sara asked curiously. A loud whistle from outside filled my insides with panic. 'The police are coming.' I thought. "I'll tell you at 808 Broadway, let's get out of here before we all get arrested." I said as I quickly left the room./p  
p dir="ltr"We met up with the others on the steps outside before we hurried to headquarters. Thankfully Stevie knew all the shortcuts and tricks to evade the cops, because we left the house with seconds to spare. Everyone was crammed inside of the calash, making things very uncomfortable. But when we reached 808 Broadway the Isaacson brothers told us everything they found, which wasn't much to go on./p  
p dir="ltr""I think I know what killed them rather than who." I said once there was a window of opportunity for me to insert myself into the conversation. "What do you think killed them?" Laszlo asked. It was if everyone was holding their breath as they waited for what I had to say. "When I looked through the kitchen I found two fugu fish in the icebox. They're more commonly known as puffer fish." I replied./p  
p dir="ltr""And?" Marcus asked. "Puffer fish are a Japanese delicacy, but they're very poisonous if cooked incorrectly." I said. It fit the theory of the victims being poisoned by the food they had eaten. It made sense, but it lead to a more complicated question. Did the chef who cooked the meals purposefully kill the victims or was it an accident?/p  
p dir="ltr"strong+++++++++++++++/strongbr /strongA/N: Thanks for reading!/strong/p 


	15. Footwork

p dir="ltr"strongAurora's POV/strong/p  
p dir="ltr"Weeks went by and it seemed like we weren't any closer to finding the killer. All of us have been looking into all of the families who had been killed, but there wasn't any indication to a connection. None of the families had any relationship or business ties of any kind that we could find at least. Our long monotonous days of searching documents seem almost useless. Actually, I think it was useless. The sound of a fly buzzing in one of the windows at 808 Broadway was the only other sound besides that of a ticking clock. That ticking sound was a gross reminder that there could be another mass murder at any time. Lucius and Marcus were going back and forth with Laszlo on some kind of murder pattern. The downside is that there wasn't a murder pattern./p  
p dir="ltr""Maybe we're on the wrong track." I mumbled, which only caught the attention of Sara Howard. "What was that?" She asked curiously, turning her attention onto me now. "I said, maybe we're on the wrong track. I mean... if there aren't any business transactions or relationships between the deceased families, then maybe the chef didn't know he or she was killing them." I sat up straight, causing my back to crack loudly in several spots. "But the killer would have read the papers and known the families he or she had cooked for had died." Sara said. "Not necessarily. What if the chef doesn't speak English?" I replied. She told John what I had thought of, and he agreed with what I had brought up. He managed to attract the Isaacsons and well as Laszlo's attention long enough to fill them in on my thoughts. "Very good point, Aurora." Laszlo said as he jotted those particulars down on one side of the large chalkboard./p  
p dir="ltr"Then it was back to more verbal speculation on the things I had just brought up. "I bet you regret getting involved with this investigation now, don't you? I know I do." John said, and Sara rolled her eyes. "Not really. Detective work always has its ups and downs. Think of the satisfaction it'll bring once we start making progress." I said, and Sara nodded. My words didn't seem to brighten John's spirits thought, and I doubted that anything would at this point. Deep down I wondered if we were ever going to solve these murders, I mean... there wasn't a lot of evidence to go on. We didn't even know if out killer was woman or a man. Since we weren't really making any new discoveries we decided to call it a day at two o'clock in the afternoon. Instead of going back to the doctor's house, I decided to check in on my brother. But I assured Laszlo that I'd be back in time to make dinner. When I entered the apartment, I heard voices. One was my brother's and the other was familiar but I couldn't quite pinpoint who it belonged to./p  
p dir="ltr"Once I stepped I to the kitchen I saw Henry sitting there with an old friend of ours. Neither on of us had seen or heard from Jeremy Laymen in a number of years, but he still looked the same. Seeing his dark curly hair and bright green eyes took me back to when we were kids. I remember the time when he and my brother got in trouble for breaking a window when they were playing catch in the alley nearby. "Aurora, it's nice to see you again." Jeremy said with a small smile as he stood up and gave me a hug. When we moved apart I couldn't help but notice the dark circles under his eyes. He looked so tired it made me wanna make him take a nap. A car backfired outside on the street, causing Jeremy to jump slightly. His eyes went wide and Henry chuckled lightly. "It's right, it's only a car. There's nothing to worry about." My brother said as our friend sat back down and sipped a cup of coffee. I joined them and noticed how agitated and fidgety Jeremy had become./p  
p dir="ltr"'I didn't think a backfiring car would make him so skittish.' I thought inside of my head as I too drank a cup of coffee. The Jeremy I knew had nerves of steel, always going forward with reckless abandon. But it was obvious that my childhood friend had changed over the years he had spent in Europe and I wondered what had caused such a change in him. We asked each other questions about our lives and what we had been up to. "So, did you ever achieve your dreams of being a chef? Or did you change your mind a peruse another career?" Henry asked him, and a flutter of anxiety filled my insides. 'The killer can't be him, Aurora.' I said inside of my head, but I knew he very well could be. There was no other evidence other than the cause of death, meaning anyone in New York with a culinary background could be the killer. It made nervous and a little awkward. It also made me feel guilty because I was suspecting one of friends is a murderer. Even though all of these thoughts and emotions were running wild inside of me, I managed to keep calm and poised./p  
p dir="ltr"If Jeremy really is the killer, I didn't want him to suspect that I suspected him... even if he didn't know I was in the middle of a murder investigation. "I was wondering if I could stay here with you guys. I... I haven't um..." Jeremy started, but my brother cut him off. "Of course you can stay here. You'll have to sleep on the couch though." He said. "That's fine." Jeremy replied. My brother arranged a spot for our friend on the couch while I headed back to work. During the cab ride to Dr. Kreizler's I kept wondering if I should say something to him about Jeremy. By the time I reached my destination I finally made a decision. If there was clear evidence that Jeremy had been the one who cooked those poisoned meals, then I'd tell Laszlo about it. Even though murder is a serious crime, I didn't want anyone looking into my childhood friend if there wasn't a solid good reason to./p  
p dir="ltr"I paid my cab driver and walked into the house through the back door. Cyrus was sitting at the small kitchen table reading a book when I entered the room. "How was your brother?" He asked me curiously with a kind smile on his face. "He's doing alright." I replied with a smile of my own. "That's good. Maybe you could have him over for dinner sometime. If he's studying to be an Alienist then he'd enjoy the doctor's company." He said, and I agreed. I wasn't sure why I never thought of inviting my brother for dinner before. 'I'll have to mention it to Laszlo.' I thought. After washing my hands, I started cooking dinner for all of us. Stevie and Cyrus helped. Once the food was ready we all ate at the dinning table upon Laszlo's request. It felt odd, especially since we were use to eating in the kitchen, but it was nice for a change. They made small talk while my thoughts went back to Jeremy and his out of character nervous behavior./p  
p dir="ltr""Are you alright?" Stevie's voice said, taking me out of my thoughts. "What? Oh, yeah... I'm fine... just thinking." I replied with a small smile. Laszlo looked at me curiously even though Stevie and Cyrus seemed to brush it off. I had a feeling they probably figured I was thinking about the murder investigation, and they weren't wrong. But they didn't know about the internal struggle I was having. Keeping quiet about a possible suspect made me feel like a horrible person, but seeing a friend get accused for murder made me feel bad as well. When we finished eating I cleaned up with some help from my friends and co-workers. My mind was so preoccupied that I wasn't being as careful as I should have, because I ended up cutting myself with a knife I had been washing. "Shit." I mumbled. It caught Cyrus's attention fairly quick because I've never cursed in front of any of them before. "What's wrong?" He asked with concern in his voice. "I cut myself." I replied./p  
p dir="ltr"As if he knew something bad had happened, Laszlo walked into the room. "Aurora just cut herself on accident." Stevie said with a hint of worry in his tone. Laszlo told them to leave the room to get him some supplies. "Come here, let me see the wound." Laszlo said softly as he came closer to me. His looked at my soapy wet hands and examined the bleeding slice that was on the palm of my hand. I rinsed my hands under running water before he gently dried them with a towel. Cyrus returned with bandages, something in a brown glass bottle, and a tin of what I assumed was some kind of healing ointment. Laszlo dabbed a little bit of liquid from the bottle on my cut, which burned like fire. I hissed slightly and he looked up at me with an apologetic look in his big brown eyes. After drying it a little, he applied the ointment and then bandaged my hand. "Cyrus, could you please continue washing the dishes?" Laszlo said, breaking the silence. "Of course, doctor." He replied. "I'm sorry. I should have been paying attention to what I was doing better." I said, feeling ashamed that mad such a stupid mistake./p  
p dir="ltr"They both told me that I didn't have to apologize and that it could have happened to anyone. I followed Laszlo up to his study because he asked me to. Deep down I had a feeling he was going to ask me what I had taken up my thoughts so much that I accidentally hurt myself. But to my surprise he wanted to just spend time with me. I snuggled into his side as we sat and enjoyed the comfortable silence. He made me forget everything that had been running through my mind. All of the anxiety and nervousness had melted away into nothing. I think that was his intentions, and I felt so lucky to have someone like him in my life. I hoped we could tell our friends that we were starting a relationship. But I knew there were more pressing things at hand to deal with first. So that would have to wait. As much as I wanted to spend the night, I decided I should stay at the apartment instead. I didn't want Jeremy asking Henry too many questions./p  
p dir="ltr"So I reluctantly said my goodbyes to Laszlo, who gave me a soft kiss on my lips. A kiss I hadn't realized I needed until he had given it to me. Then I said goodbye to Cyrus and Stevie who wished me well. When I entered the apartment I found Henry studying in the kitchen. He told me to be quiet because Jeremy was sleeping on the couch. "What happened to your hand?" He asked me curiously with wide worried eyes. "I cut myself while washing dishes." I replied with a deep sigh. He joked that I was climbs but then added that he was glad it was just a minor injury. Since it was late, I decided to call it a night. I wished Henry good lucky with studying and reminded him not to stay up too late. I locked my bedroom door and changed into my night clothes before climbing into bed. It took me a while to fall asleep, but when I did I had sweet dreams about Laszlo Kreizler./p  
p dir="ltr"strong+++++++++++++++++/strongbr /strongA/N: Thanks for reading! Also, I'm very sorry that it took me forever to update this story. I really hope this chapter makes up for it somehow./strong/p 


	16. A Dead End Case

p dir="ltr"strongAurora's POV: /strong/p  
p dir="ltr"A week of housekeeping duties and working on what looked like a dead end case really seemed to take a lot out of me. I stayed up at odd hours due to the face that my mind wouldn't keep quiet. Not being able to making any progress in the investigation of murders, it has cause all of us to feel agitated. On top of everything else, I've been staying at the apartment a lot more than usual; something just told me that I needed to be there, so I followed my internal instincts. For some reason I felt as if Jeremy had something he wanted to tell Henry and I. But maybe that's because I felt like he had something on his mind... something bothering him. "Can I ask you a question?" Dr. Kreizler's voice said, taking me out of my thoughts. He had taken me out to lunch at Delmonico's in an attempt to get our minds off of things, but it was obvious that it wasn't working. "Sure." I replied as I focused my field of vision on him./p  
p dir="ltr"I hadn't realized I was staring at a random wall until just then, and I hoped no one else in restaurant noticed. "I know this might sound childish or even selfish, but... have you fallen out of love with me?" He asked and I was surprised that he even asked that question. "No. Why do you ask?" I replied with furrowed brows. "It's just... ever since your childhood friend started staying at your apartment I haven't been seeing much of you. I can't help but wonder if... maybe... your friend was in fact once a romantic interest." He said. His big brown eyes were a swirling mixture of emotions as he looked at me, and my heart broke. Maybe it was because he was so use to disappointment or something else. But it hurt realizing that he thought it was easy for someone to fall out of love with him. "Laszlo, I assure you that Jeremy and I have only ever been friends. I've never thought of him in that way." I said. I really hoped he believed me because it was true. I viewed Jeremy like a second brother more than anything else. He nodded once but I knew troubled thoughts were still eating away at his mind and heart./p  
p dir="ltr"When we left Delmonico's we got into a cab since Cyrus and Stevie were helping the detectives Isaacson with the investigation. Once the cab started rolling away from the restaurant, I surprised Laszlo with a kiss on the lips. His eyes went wide and a light blush spread across his face. Seeing him blush like that made me smile. He moved closer to me and tilted his head slightly before he hesitantly closed the distance between us. When our lips met my heart fluttered. My insides melted and it felt like my bones melted along with them. For some reason his lips felt much softer than I remembered. I was his even though he had doubts planted in his head from past experiences that convinced him otherwise. We caught our breath briefly before he captured my lips with his again. When we finally broke the kiss I don't think either of us could have formed a coherent sentence even if we tried. But after a few minutes the comfortable silence that had surrounded us was broken. "Forgive me for doubting your affections for me. I hate to admit that I have an underlying fear that I'll lose you either to a younger man or something far worse." He said. I understood why he was afraid that something might take me away from him, especially after what had happened to Mary Palmer./p  
p dir="ltr"I couldn't promise that something wouldn't take me away physical, but I could promise that no one or anything could steal my love from him. "Laszlo, I've never met someone quite like you, and I doubt that I ever will again." I said, assuring him I'd try my best to keep safe as well. He smiled softly before gently nuzzling his adorable nose against mine. I giggled shyly, which only made his smile grow. He dropped me off at 808 Broadway before he went back to the institute. I found John smoking a cigarette and going through a stack of papers. From the look on his face I could tell he wasn't happy, and I sympathized. Doing the mundane footwork is probably the worst yet most vital part of an investigation. Not that Sherlock Holmes did much of that in the stories Sir Arthur Conan Doyle writes, but they are fictional murder cases after all. "Still holding your nose to the grindstone I see." I said, which caught his attention./p  
p dir="ltr""Aurora, I wasn't expecting you. How have you been?" He said with a smile. He used my presence an excuse to take a break from the work he was doing. "I'm alright, I just had lunch with Dr. Kreizler." I replied. "Oh, is he with you?" He asked as he turned his head towards the doorway. "No, he went back to the institute." I replied. He stamped out his cigarette in an ashtray before he stood up and stretched. As he did so, several sickening cracks filled the relatively silent room. That let me know he had been sitting in the same position for quite some time. "Why don't I make some coffee?" I asked. "That would be much appreciated. I've already dosed off three times since nine o'clock this morning." He said, and I smiled in an attempt to repress a laugh. 'Poor John. He really does hate this sort of work.' I thought as I walked into the small kitchen near the back of the room. He followed me and expressed his distaste for everything that annoyed him at the time being. I admit that I was only half listening as I made coffee. My thoughts were somewhat preoccupied by the kiss Laszlo and I had shared just moments ago./p  
p dir="ltr"The sound of the door opening and closing caught both of our attention. We stepped out of the kitchen to see the rest of our friends and colleagues. Each of which looked just as exasperated as the next. Stevie hopped into his usual spot, which was the windowsill. The Isaacson brothers and Sara Howard sat down at their desks. Cyrus took a seat at the piano even though he didn't seem in the mood to play any music. "I see you all had about the same luck as I had today. Although I think I was given the worst task out of all of them if I do say so myself." John said as he walked back to his desk. "Don't start, John. We've all had a rough week, your whining won't make any of this better." Sara said with an icy glare in his direction. He opened his mouth to make a retort, but I figured it was the perfect opportunity to cut in. "I made some fresh coffee if anyone would like some." I said. I didn't want Sara to pull out her derringer pistol, because I think she was half tempted to shoot John in the kneecap of he pushed her any more today. "Excellent." Marcus said as he got up and walked into the kitchen, saying his hellos as he passed me./p  
p dir="ltr"The others seemed to have just noticed that I was there, which took their minds off of things for a brief moment. "When did you get here?" Sara asked me curiously. "Just a minute or so ago." I replied as I walked over to the desks. Marcus returned with a tray of cups filled with the coffee I had just brewed and passed them around. Lucius and Sara started sharing opinions on the stagnant case. Miss Howard paced back and forth in front of the large chalkboard, which was once full of writing. Now there was very little remaining on the thing. But I knew one of the Isaacson brothers had written down what was previously written on it. I walked over to where Cyrus was sitting and watched the others compare theories and thoughts. The rest of the day went on in that vein until we all went out separate ways. I started cooking dinner when I arrived back at the doctor's home. Once everyone had finished eating I was left to cleaning up, but I wasn't alone. Laszlo was there helping me since he sent my usual helpers into the stables to tend to the horses. Maybe it was the kiss he and I had shared earlier that day or something else, but he was so playful. He was so cute and adorable that it made my heart hurt, but in a good way./p  
p dir="ltr""Laszlo." I giggled after he taped my nose lightly with his forefinger, leaving behind soap bubbles. "What's gotten into you?" I asked as I wiped the bubbles off of my nose. His eyes sparkled and a small smile spread across his face before he slowly closed the distance between us. My heart skipped a beat, knowing what was going to happen next. Our noses touched before we were interrupted. The loud ring of the telephone made the two of us jump and quickly break apart. It felt like I was going to have a heart attack to be completely honest. I calmed down a bit after the third ring and I walked over to answer it. To my surprise it was my brother on the other end of the line. "Henry? What is it? What's wrong?" I asked curiously with furrowed brows. His tone sounded urgent and I hoped that no one was hurt if something bad had happened. "Get here as fast as you can. There's something you need to know." He said, but he didn't give me time to reply. The line went dead. "Aurora, what's wrong?" Laszlo asked with a worried look in his big brown eyes. I admitted that I didn't know what was wrong. All I knew was that my brother wanted me to get home as fast as I could./p  
p dir="ltr"He stepped outside and called to Stevie to ready the calash. I protested due to the fact that I hadn't finished my duties, but Dr. Kreizler told me not to worry about them. Next thing I knew I was tearing through the streets of New York with Stevie at the reins. I trusted his driving mostly because everyone else I knew did, but it scared the hell out of me. At one point I swear the clash near went up on two wheels when we turned a sharp corner. I was glad when we finally stopped outside of the apartment, and I asked Stevie to stay in case someone needed emergency medical attention. He agreed to stay a I hurried inside to see what made Henry want me to come home in such a hurry. When I entered the apartment I noticed that Jeremy was sitting at the kitchen table. My brother on the other hand was pacing around the room. "What's wrong?! What happened?!" I asked in a worried tone. "Go on Jeremy. Tell her what you told me." Henry said, stopping by the sink and placing his hands on his hips. "Well... what is it?" I asked with furrowed brows. Adrenaline rushed through me at the thought that this actually might be it. 'I'll finally know what has been troubling my friend.' I thought inside of my head as I took a seat at the table./p  
p dir="ltr""Remember how I told you I perused and achieved my goals of becoming a chef?" Jeremy asked in a detached sort of way that gave me goosebumps. It literally sent chills down my spine. "Yes?" I replied in a questioning tone. "Well... when I got back to New York I got offered a job as an assistant chef. My boss was highly recommend to rich families in city..." He said, trailing off. It was hard for me to contain my excitement, but I did my best. "And?" I said, anticipating what he was about to say next. "Now... I can't speak for the rest of his employees, but I for one have caught on to a grim reoccurring theme when he cooks for certain families." He said, and some emotion returned to his voice and demeanor. He became fidgety and tears begun to fill his green eyes. "The families he cooked for ended up dead, didn't they Jeremy?" I said, and he nodded. A few moments of eerie silence settled heavily upon us. Henry had started asking me questions, but I was only half listening as I made my way over to the telephone. I dialed a familiar phone number and waited patiently for someone to answer./p  
p dir="ltr""Dr. Kreizler's residence, how may I be of assistance?" Cyrus's deep voice broke through on the other side of the line. "Tell the doctor to assemble everyone at headquarters. We just got a major breakthrough on the case." I said and I didn't wait for a reply. I hung up and started giving my brother orders to get moving. "What is all this about a case? And how the hell did you know those families were dying after Jeremy's boss cooked for them?" Henry asked. "Not now! I'll explain everything on the way, now get moving!" I said, but that didn't stop my brother from asking more questions. He kept running his mouth as I locked the door behind me and helped Jeremy into the clash. "808 Broadway, Stevie and quick." I said once all three of us were safely seated. When the calash almost went up on two wheels again my brother finally shut up and held on for dear life. 'Finally... we made some progress.' I thought inside of my head as we were flying through the streets of New York once more./p  
p dir="ltr"strong+++++++++++++++++/strongbr /strongA/N: Thanks for reading!/strong/p 


	17. The True Killer

**Aurora's POV: **

We got to 808 Broadway in record time. I certainly admired Stevie's abilities to keep his passengers in one piece even if our journey was in a haphazard manner. None of us moved until we had came to a complete stop thought. It was almost comical how quickly my brother wanted to put his feet on solid ground. But there was no time to make any remarks. Stevie helped me get Jeremy down since he seemed weak and shell shocked. When we got into the elevator I pulled the chain to take us up to headquarters. A few silent moments went by before Henry finally spoke again. "How did you know that families Jeremy's boss was hired to had died?" He asked, his voice shaking a little. He was scared even though he was trying his best to hide it. "Because I... I've been helping Sara Howard try to solve them." I replied.

"Sara Howard? The female detective? But... I thought you were working for Dr. Kreizler? Have you been lying to me this who time?" He asked, looking as if his pride had been hurt. "I am working for Dr. Kreizler." I said. I explained that the doctor is friends with Miss Howard and that he assist her on some cases. I also mentioned that everyone close to him has been helping on this particular string of mass murders. "Also, say hello to Stevie Taggert. He's Dr. Kreizler's ward." I said, introducing them just as the elevator stopped. We got out and I fumbled with the key Sara had given me, but I eventually managed to get the door open. Apparently my nerves were getting to me too. "So... do-" Henry started, but Stevie cut him off. "Yes." He said, obviously knowing what my brother was going to ask. I sat Jeremy down on one of the comfortable chairs before I switched on the lights.

"Stevie, please take the elevator back down and wait on the others." I said. "You got it." He said as he ran back and closed the grate before descending back down to the street. Henry sat grabbed a chair and sat next to Jeremy, keeping a close eye on him. He looked like he was about to faint. I announced that I was going to make some coffee before I walked into the kitchen. When I walked back into the room with a tray of mugs and a teapot full of coffee, I found Henry looking at the chalkboard. I poured three cups of the steaming black liquid and handed one to Jeremy. "Here, this might make you feel better." I said as he took the cup from and sipped it. I took one for myself before handing Henry the other. "I am sorry I had to hide all of this from you, but it was the only way. I couldn't risk you telling anyone... least of all you college friends." I said, and what looked like understanding filled his eyes.

"It's okay, Aurora. You don't have to apologize. I know my drinking habits and the company I tend to hang around has given you reason not to trust me with delicate subjects." He said. "But I promise that those days are over. I'm going to quit drinking and I'm going to find better friends like you keep telling me I should do. It seems... as if... even a man of psychology can make silly mistakes despite the plethora of knowledge that has been given to him." I smiled at that. Mostly because the last part sounded like something Dr. Kreizler would have said. We walked back over to where Jeremy was sitting and I told my brother how I got involved in all of this. As I did so he seemed proud of me. I guess you could say I was glad that Henry wasn't infuriated with me for getting in the middle of something so dangerous. But I guess that's just the way he and I had always been. Always fighting against societal norms, so much so that we put ourselves in interesting situations.

I drank two cups of coffee before the sound of the elevator caught my attention. 'I hope they're all hear. Even if it might be a tight squeeze.' I thought as I stood up, and Henry followed my motion. When the grate opened Laszlo lead the pack which was something of a common thing. We all sort of looked to him for guidance in our own ways, and I think even Sara could admit to that even if she would have hated to do so. "What's happened? How did you find a break in the case?" Laszlo asked me curiously and I simply pointed to Jeremy. "He says his boss has been the chef who was hired to the deceased families before they died." I said. Him and the detective sergeants closed in on him, causing his green eyes to go wide. "Be gentle with him." I said softly, and the doctor nodded. I lead Henry away from his idol to introduce him to the others while Dr. Kreizler and the Isaacson brothers questioned Jeremy. I didn't bother Sara since she was the one taking notes. So I walked over to Cyrus who was standing next to the window near Stevie.

"Pleased to meet you Mr. Perish. Your sister Aurora is a wonderful housekeeper and cook." Cyrus said, which made me smile. "I have no doubt about that. You can call me Henry if you'd like by the way." My brother said with a small smile. I could tell he was nervous and it wasn't just because of what had happened in the last hour or so. He also knew that Cyrus and Stevie both have criminal backgrounds. But I had a feeling he'd warm up to them sooner rather than later. John walked over and introduced himself. The two of them seemed to hit it off fairly well. Introductions were kept short though, because everyone wanted to hear what the doctor and the detective sergeants were asking Jeremy. He had already told them about his boss being the culprit of the mass murders that have been going on around New York. "Do you know if he had any motive for killing those families?" Lucius asked him curiously.

"No, not that I know of. Some of his other staff members might. They've known him longer than I have." Jeremy replied. Some color had returned to his face, and I think it was the coffee that had helped. "Do you know how we could find them?" Marcus asked. "Um... yeah. Let me write down Antonio's address for you. I'm sure he'd have a lot to say about chef Moran. The two of them have been partners for years." Jeremy said. Once the questioning was over Dr. Kreizler walked over to the chalkboard and wrote a few things down. The detective sergeants left immediately to track down Jeremy's co-worker, Antonio. Everyone was full of energy as if it wasn't going on midnight. Even I wasn't feeling the slightest bit tired. Maybe it was the idea of finally making progress... finally getting a few steps closer at capturing our killer. "So... now what do we do?" John asked, breaking the silence that had settled around us. "We wait and see what the detectives sergeants find." Dr. Kreizler replied.

When he finished writing on the chalkboard, him and Sara talked over some theories. Then I was finally able to introduce my brother to his favorite Alienist. He praised the doctor's work and Laszlo seemed touched by his admiration. "I just hope we could have met under different circumstances." Henry said, and I could tell he was a little nervous. The two of them talked about psychology while I walked over to where Cyrus was. Sara and John were leaning against a desk staring at the chalkboard. Each of them with a cigarette in their hand. Stevie was staring out of the window at the lamp lit streets and store sings. "I don't mean to be forward, Aurora, but... I saw the way you and the doctor were carrying on before the telephone call interrupted the two of you." Cyrus said in a hushed tone so no one else could hear. Panic filled my stomach and I think I felt more nervous now than any other time in my life. 'Oh god! What is he going to say?' I wondered curiously. "Oh." I said, looking down at the floor. All I wanted to do was hide from the world in that moment.

I was so afraid what he and Stevie would think about the whole thing. "Don't worry, I haven't told anyone." He said after an awkward moment of quietness. "I... I want you to know that I have no intentions of trying to replace Mary. I know how much he must have loved her, and I-" I started, but Cyrus cut me off. "It's alright Aurora. I know you aren't trying to replace her. If I'm completely honest... I think you're exactly what the doctor needs." He said. When I looked at him there was a smile on his face that reached his eyes. In that moment I felt so stupid for thinking he wouldn't be okay with Laszlo and I being in a romantic relationship. But I still kinda wondered if Stevie would think the same thing as Cyrus. I pressed my thoughts to the back of my mind when Henry started walking away from Dr. Kreizler and over to Jeremy. I joined them and suggested that they go back to the apartment to get some rest.

"That's funny, Dr. Kreizler just suggested the exact same thing." Henry said with a smile. He asked if I was coming, but I told him I wanted to be here when the detective sergeants returned. But I did follow him down the back stairs since no one had brought the elevator back up. When we reached the street I gave my brother and my childhood friend a hug. "I really hope you guys catch him. Then maybe I can sleep easier." Jeremy said. I couldn't promise that we could, but I expressed hope that we very well might. Henry thanked me for introducing him to my friends, especially Dr. Kreizler. Then we said out goodbyes. I made sure they caught a cab before I walked back up the darkened stairway. When I returned I saw that my friends were right where I had left them. I took a seat at Laszlo's desk and hoped he didn't mind. He was pacing the floor in front of the chalkboard after all.

Hours passed before Marcus and Lucius returned. We wen through two post of coffee just waiting on them. "Well? What have you found?" Sara asked them curiously. Both of them deemed to be holding back excitement, which was a very good sign. "Antonio talked alright. He told us exactly what chef Moran used to kill the families." Lucius replied. "You were right, Aurora. He did use puffer fish as a way to hid the poisonings." Marcus said with a smile on his face. "So what do you suggest we do next detective sergeants?" Laszlo asked them with slightly furrowed brows. "We hunt down the whereabouts of James Moran tomorrow morning though the census bureau." Marcus replied as he took a seat at his desk. The brothers described everything Antonio, Jeremy's co-worker, had told them. Everything from how he and chef Moran met to the first killings. Apparently Moran's staff were afraid that they would get killed too if they went to the police. But after the detective sergeants said one of them had come forward, Antonio didn't see any point in why he should keep silent any longer.

'We're just lucky Antonio was willing to talk.' I thought inside of my head. This whole cast seemed to have take a huge turn for the better. But I knew there was a lot more work to be done. If we didn't find James Moran soon who knows where he would go. None of us knew where he was now, and I think that made everyone a little nervous. Especially since he was a man nearing the end of his rope. He probably expected that someone would find out about his involvement in the crimes eventually. I just hoped Henry and Jeremy didn't cross paths with him before we could capture him. If anything happened to them I don't think I could forgive myself for getting them into all of this. Obviously, Jeremy was already neck deep in the thing, but Henry had no part of it. Since there wasn't anything else to do we all decided to go home. I wanted to spend the night with Laszlo, but I knew it would be better if I stayed at the apartment. Maybe it's because I wanted to protect my brother and my friend. Or perhaps I felt like something would happen to them if I was gone too long.

"If anything happens just call." Laszlo said once the clash was stopped in front of the apartment. "I will." I replied, giving him a side hug before I got out of the carriage and headed inside. The place was dark but I could see fairly well since the moon was shining through the curtains. Jeremy was sleeping on the couch and I made sure Henry was in his room before I got ready for bed. I didn't rest much, given the fact that I had consumed a great deal of caffeine. But at the first light of dawn I eventually fell into a deep restless sleep.

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	18. Danger

p dir="ltr"strongAurora's POV: /strong/p  
p dir="ltr"I was awakened by the sound of horse hooves and carriage wheels. Both of which seemed to be moving rather quickly. My senses were very fuzzy as I rubbed my eyes and slowly started to move. That's when I realized that my feet and hands were bound by some rough rope. "What the hell?" I mumbled. "We've been kidnapped." I heard my brother, Henry say from the left of me. That's when I noticed the smell of chloroform in the enclosed carriage. "What?" I asked. I was still trying to process where I was and how I got there. "It's James Moran. He... he came for me. I tried to tell him to leave you two alone, but he wouldn't listen." Jeremy said. From the sound of his voice I could tell he had been crying. "It's okay. It's not your fault, Jeremy." Henry said. I agreed with that statement with all of my heart. The situation we were in wasn't because of Jeremy; it isn't his fault that his employer is a murderer looking for revenge on those who linked him to the recent killings./p  
p dir="ltr"As we laid there side by side in the darkness, I wondered where we were being taken. But that wasn't much of a mystery for too long. The carriage stopped and a few moments later the back of the carriage was opened. I was violently pulled onto the ground as well as Henry and Jeremy. The bright full moon gave enough light so I could see our captors. One man was short with blond hair that seemed to glow white in the moonlight; his skin had the same effect. Another man was taller and looked much stronger. He had black curly hair, but was just as pale as the other man. "Why did you have to tell the police about what I was doing? You could have stayed quiet and I would have left you alone." The blond haired man said with a hint of a French accent. "James... Antonio... please... don't hurt my friends. They don't know anything about what you've done. Do whatever you want with me, but they don't deserve to be treated like this." Jeremy said in a desperate tone./p  
p dir="ltr"My heart dropped when I realized that Antonio had told James that the detectives Isaacson had visited him. 'How could we be so stupid.' I thought inside of my head. When I looked over at Jeremy, I could see tears glistening as they streamed down his face. I wanted nothing more than to comfort him, but I couldn't. There wasn't anything I could say and I wasn't able to touch him due to the fact that my hands were tied behind my back. "Shut up! You told the police everything, and now you're going to pay!" The dark haired man said. They aggressively forced us up onto our knees. I was trying my hardest to get the ropes off, but that only made my wrists burn. I looked around and realized we were in some kind of clearing surrounded by woods. "Antonio... you can't really let him control you like this? This isn't you." Jeremy said to the dark haired guy. But all my friend got for a reply was the butt of the gun coming down on his head. The blow didn't knock him out, but a trickle of blood did start running down the side of his face./p  
p dir="ltr"The click of the hammer being pulled back made my breath catch in my throat. Tears filled my eyes as the thought that maybe I wasn't going to see the sunrise again suddenly sinked in. But what hurt the most was the thought that I'd leave a broken Laszlo behind if I didn't make it. "So... which one of you wants to go first?" James said as he smirked and ran a hand through his blond hair. "Let's get rid of Jeremy first. He's the snitch after all." Antonio said with a grin that revealed several crooked teeth. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the sound of a gunshot, but I heard two loud thumps instead. When I opened my eyes I saw Stevie Taggert standing there with a sizable length of lead pipe in his hands. Both James and Antonio were laying on the ground out cold from being wacked on the head. "Stevie!" I said, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. A big grin spread across my face; I was having a hard time keeping myself from laughing./p  
p dir="ltr""The doctor told me to keep an eye on your apartment. Good thing he did too." Stevie said as he tucked his piece of pipe in his pants and retrieved a pocket knife. "Where is everyone else?" I asked him curiously as he carefully cut the ropes from our wrists and ankles. "They're on their way." He replied. The three of us stood up and stretched, which caused several joints to crack in response to our movements. I looked at my wrists and seen that they were red from the friction, so I rubbed them a little. We talked about what happened and I hoped that the Isaacson brothers showed up before our captors woke up. It felt like hours as we stood there and waited for my friends to show up. Eventually the sound of an approach carriage caught my attention. When it stopped nearby the first person I saw get out was Laszlo. He hurried towards me and pulled me into a tight hug that made my insides melt. I snuggled into his chest and breathed in his comforting scent./p  
p dir="ltr"We broke the hug slightly, and what happened next surprised me. He closed the short distance between us and captured my lips his. I closed my eyes and kissed him back. His soft lips were making me weak. When we broke the kiss I could feel everyone watching us, which made me blush. I even seen Laszlo's cheeks turn a little pink as well. "That... is the cutest thing I have ever seen." Marcus's voice broke the awkward silence, which make us all laugh a little. Laszlo and I broke our embrace and joined the others. "Wait... what? You two... are in love with each other?" John asked with a dumbfounded look on his face. "Oh, John. Like I said before, you've never been very perceptive when it comes to romance." Sara said with an amused smile on her face. The sweet moment turned serious when we discussed what had happened to Jeremy, Henry, and I. Lucius and Marcus examined the two perpetrators that were laying on the ground unconscious, thanks to Stevie./p  
p dir="ltr"I walked over to the young man and gave him a hug that made him a little flustered. Like me, he wasn't good at people thanking him or giving him complements. "I'm really glad you were here to save us Stevie." I said with a smile. "Hey, I was just following the doctor's orders." He replied with a shy smile. "Still... I'm very grateful that were here. If you weren't... well... who knows what have happened." I said starting to feel emotional, but I fought my emotions back. I stood and watched as the Isaacson brothers with he help of Cyrus, put James and Antonio into the carriage we were kidnapped in. They locked the door before they turned to face all of us. "Alright, let's take them to the institute. I want to make sure to question them as much as I can before you take them to the police station." Laszlo said. They left for the institute, but I gave Laszlo one last hug before they did. The rest of us followed them in the doctor's clash./p  
p dir="ltr""So... you and Dr. Kreizler..." Henry said, trailing off a little as he looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Henry, he's a wonderful guy. You won't have to worry about him." I said and felt myself blush as I said it. I never imagined that my friends and my brother would find out about my relationship with Laszlo the way they did. But I guess it was time that they knew. Henry as well as John asked questions about how the doctor and I ended up falling in love with each other. To be honest I wasn't quite sure how to answer them, especially since I never thought that I would have fallen for Laszlo. But everything about him was so... perfect in my mind. He has a good heart and a good soul. Plus he's a very handsome man. All this talk made me feel so awkward. "Alright, that's enough, boys. You don't need to know every detail about her relationship with Dr. Kreizler, and no Henry. You do not have the right to know just because you're her brother." Sara said, which made me smile. To my relief the questions stopped./p  
p dir="ltr"We waited outside of the institute even though I'm sure all of us wanted to witness the interrogation going on inside. But none of us figured we would make things any easier. Most likely they weren't going to get anything out of James and Antonio. One thing was clear though, and that was that Jeremy was safe. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that those two criminals would go to prison. Obviously, all the credit would go to the police department even though we did all the work. But that was a small price to pay for convicting a serial murderer and his accomplice. I looked over and found Jeremy staring up at the stars that speckled the blackened sky. "You alright?" I asked him in a hushed tone. Sara, John, and Stevie were all smoking and pacing the small front yard of the institute. Henry was talking to Cyrus who had emerged from the building with freshly brewed coffee for everyone. "Yeah. I'm just glad that you guys didn't get hurt." He replied as he looked over at me./p  
p dir="ltr"I smiled as him and gave him a hug. "So... you and Dr. Kreizler, huh?" Jeremy said with a big smile on his face after we broke the hug. I blushed and looked down at the ground feeling a little nervous about what he was going to say. Mostly because he stayed quiet when John and my brother were bombarding me with questions. "I'm very happy for you, Aurora. I may not know Dr. Kreizler but I do know you, and I know you wouldn't fall in love with just any one." He said to me. From the look in his eyes I knew he was being completely genuine. Knowing he too was okay with my relationship with Laszlo made me so happy. I also felt relived. I know that Laszlo can seem intimidating, but he's really a sweet and kind man. I just wanted my brother as well as everyone else to see that. After what felt like forever, the Isaacson brothers and Laszlo came outside. James Moran and Antonio were being lead out by the detective sergeants. Each of the criminals were in handcuffs, which made me feel a little better. But I wouldn't feel totally safe until they were both benching bars in prison./p  
p dir="ltr"Sara was the first to speak. She asked what had happened during the interrogation once James and Antonio were locked away in one of the carriages. "Apparently all of the killings were for revenge." Marcus said with a deep sigh. "How so?" Sara asked with furrowed brows. "The families that they killed via food poisoning, represented everything they hated about society." Dr. Kreizler replied. "Just as we suspected." Lucius said as he put his hands in his pockets. There was a moment of complete silence that settled heavily around us. It was like everyone was trying to accept that the case was over. After months of investigation it was finally over. Eventually the detective sergeants left to take James and Antonio to the police station. That left the rest of us standing in the courtyard of the institute just looking at each other for some minutes. "Well, I'm going home. I'm tired." John said. Sara left ad well, but not before Dr. Kreizler suggested that we all have dinner at Delmonico's for dinner tonight./p  
p dir="ltr""I think we all should call it a night. However... I must insist that Aurora come and stay with me instead of going to the apartment." Laszlo said as he gently took my hand in his. "I have no objections, although I would like to have the chance to talk to you properly some time." Henry said, looking hopeful. "Of course. You and Jeremy are invited to dinner tonight as well. It will give us a better opportunity to get to know everyone a lot better." Laszlo replied with a small smile. Stevie took by brother and Jeremy to the apartment. I went with Laszlo to his home where I changed into a nightgown and climbed into bed with him. We snuggled close to each other under the covers. He wrapped his arms around me and I breathed in his comforting scent that I love so much. "I love you, Aurora. And I'm so glad you're here... safely in my arms." He said before kissing my forehead. "I love you too Laszlo." I replied. My insides melted and I gently pressed my lips to his. He kissed me back as we pulled each other closer. When we broke the kiss we cuddled and he played with my hair, lulling me into a deep sleep./p  
p dir="ltr"strong++++++++++++++++++++++/strongbr /strongA/N: Thanks for reading! Sorry for the long wait. /strong/p 


	19. Good News

p dir="ltr"strongAurora's POV: /strong/p  
p dir="ltr"I woke up in Laszlo's arms. When I actually opened my eyes I saw that he was already awake. A sweet smile spread across his face, which warmed my insides. "Good morning sweetheart." He whispered as he brushed some of my hair out of my face. "Good morning." I replied with a smile of my own. I snuggled into him and breathed in his comforting scent. I was so warm and comfortable I didn't want to get up just yet. All I wanted to do was cuddle with him. "Good morning." I replied happily. He played with my hair as he left a sweet kiss on my forehead. After what had happened in the last... however many hours, I couldn't help but feel lucky. My brother, my best friend, and I all could have been killed last night./p  
p dir="ltr""Thanks for telling Stevie to keep an eye on us. If he hadn't been there to save us, I'm not sure if I would be here right now." I said and a sadness filled his big brown eyes. "Shhh," He said as he placed a forefinger over my lips. "I don't even want to think about that. You're here and that's all that matters." He said softly as he gently tightened his arm around me. The two of us stayed like that for a while before we decided to get up and start the day. I changed behind a folding curtain, mostly because I wasn't comfortable enough to change in front of him. The most I've seen of him was the times I saw him shirtless and I was a little nervous about seeing more than that at the time being. It wasn't because I thought he wasn't beautiful; it's just... I've never really had any experience with romantic relationships before. I didn't want our relationship to go too fast./p  
p dir="ltr"We've moved pretty fast already. But now I wanted to savor and enjoy my time with him, especially now that the case was over. I pressed my thoughts to the back of my mind once I was dressed. After making sure he was changed I walked out into the open to see him in his usual black suit. "You look so handsome. Then again... you always look handsome to me." I said as I walked towards him and wrapped my arms around his torso. He smiled as he too wrapped his arms around me. "You look beautiful, but you've always looked beautiful." He said softly as he closed the short distance between us and kissed me. I melted at the soft touch of his lips against mine and I returned the kiss. Everything in that moment felt perfect. We walked downstairs together and he joined me as I entered the kitchen. From the looks of things, Cyrus and Stevie hadn't gotten out of bed yet. So I started brewing some coffee and begun getting breakfast under way./p  
p dir="ltr""I'm so glad I have you in my life Aurora. You've been nothing but sweet and kind to me since the very beginning. I only hope I'm able to make you happy and treat you with such tenderness that you have already shown me." He said as he wrapped his arms around me from behind. "You have, Laszlo. You have done so much more than you realize." I replied as he slowly broke the embrace so I could turn to face him. I reached up and brushed my fingers through his luscious mane of a beard, which caused a smile to spread across his handsome face. A sparkle ignited in his beautiful brown eyes as well. He rested his forehead against mine before nuzzling his adorable nose against my own. "I love you Laszlo. I love you so much." I said as I fell under the sweet spell his big eyes have over me. "I love you too Aurora. I love you too." He replied before he kissed me again. Our tender moment was interrupted when I suddenly got the feeling that we were being watched./p  
p dir="ltr"I looked over to see both Stevie and Cyrus peeking through the kitchen door with huge goofy grins on their faces. I giggle and blushed as I buried my face into Laszlo's chest. Laszlo chuckled lightly. I knew he was smiling even though I couldn't see it at the moment. "Come on in you two. Aurora is making us a very late breakfast." Laszlo said. We broke the hug and our friends entered the kitchen. Both of them were still smiling though. My inside felt so warm. It was like our lives were back on track after a long and interesting detour. But I'd be kidding myself if I said a part of me didn't miss being a part of a dangerous investigation. However, I figured I'd give the detective lifestyle a break considering the fact that I could have been killed just a few hours or so ago. When the food was ready the four of us just ate there in the kitchen instead of going into the dining room. After we finished eating Stevie helped with the dishes. Then we went into the sitting room to enjoy some of Cyrus's piano playing./p  
p dir="ltr"He and Laszlo even played a song together even though the doctor could only use one of his hands. The song was beautiful regardless, just as I expected it to be. For the rest of the day we just stayed together and relished in each other's company. Eventually we all changed into our fancy clothing so we could attend the opera. I hadn't expected such a lovely outing, but I knew that it was well deserved. When we reached the opera house we met up with my brother, Jeremy, Sara, John, and the Isaacson brothers. I gave each of them a hug. Each of them accepted it with smiles and open arms. But it did cause Lucius to get a little flustered. He has always been the nervous type, except for when he was talking about something he was very familiar with like science. Our group made our way inside after we greeted each other. "Wow! I never thought I'd be sitting in a private box at opera." Jeremy said and Henry agreed. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the show; even John behaved despite his dislike for the opera./p  
p dir="ltr"But John really came alive as soon as we walked into Delmonico's. Laszlo got a private room so Cyrus and Stevie could join us. It made me a little upset that they couldn't dine with us in the open, but I knew society would have never allowed it. We talked and laughed as we ate the delicious food that was prepared for us all. I felt like I did the first time I had dinner with all of them when I first started working for Laszlo, but this time it was a little different. This time they were officially meeting my brother and my childhood friend. It was like all of the threads of my life were finally being sewn together. Of course they would never get to meet my parents, but that didn't mean they couldn't get to know them through the stories I had to tell./p  
p dir="ltr"After that night everything went back to normal. Everyone went back to their respective jobs and whatnot. Henry and I gave our parents old bakery to Jeremy so he could open a restaurant of his own. Apparently he knew a lot of good friends he went to culinary school with that he eventually hired. I ended up moving in with Dr. Kreizler since it was no longer a secret that he and I were romantically involved. So that let the apartment in my brother and Jeremy's hands. Everything really worked out for everyone. December finally arrived with cold weather and thick snowflakes. I was sitting next to the fireplace reading a really good book with a hot cup of tea next to me. I should have been cooking Christmas dinner, but Laszlo insisted for me to relax since I cook every meal unless we get food from restaurants./p  
p dir="ltr"That left Jeremy in charge of the food today. Everyone seemed to me helping him while everyone else made sure I was staying right were I was seated. Deep down I had a feeling they were up to something, but I knew it was useless to ask. Although I'm sure I could have coaxed it out of John somehow; I guess that's why they made sure he stayed in the kitchen. But I had a little surprise of my own. I figured I'd tell everyone over dinner since everyone was here. Stevie was the first one to emerge so he could set the table and I helped him. He had no objections, which I was thankful for. Then the others came up with large dishes with food on them. Cyrus and John both had to carry the turkey into the room. Marcus and Lucius were present also even though they don't celebrate Christmas due to the fact that they're Jewish. It was more of just an excuse to come and spend time with friends than a holiday to them. Once everyone was seated everyone elected John to cut the turkey. We filled our plates and started enjoying the wonderful meal Jeremy had cooked./p  
p dir="ltr""Henry, I have some good news for you." Laszlo said, starting the conversation. "You do?" My brother managed to swallow a mouthful of mashed potatoes before he spoke. "I talked to your professors and I think they'll be willing to give you an internship." He replied. "An internship? Where?" My brother asked, brightening up a bit. "At The Kreizler Institute." Laszlo said with a smile. From the look on Henry's face I think he could have kissed him. But I warned my brother that Laszlo is my boyfriend and I wouldn't allow him to do so, which caused everyone to laugh. I wanted to tell them what I had to say, but I decided to let them absorb that information first. I didn't want to overwhelm them with more news just yet./p  
p dir="ltr"The conversation shifted to my friend's work lives. Everyone was a little too curious if Sara had gotten any new interesting cases lately. To most of our disappointment she said no. Apparently she was back to the usual mundane cases that didn't take her long to solve. It didn't surprise me that the simple cases didn't take long for her, especially since she's a very intelligent woman. As the dinner started to come to an end I was going to speak up, but Laszlo beat me to it. "I have something else I'd like to say, if you all will indulge me for a few moments." He said, which caught everyone's attention. "Over the past couple of years I've faced heart ache and hardships. Most of which you all have been around to witness." He started and the others nodded. "But this year it seems as if my life has changed for the better. I got to meet three wonderful and kind people." He said as he looked from me to Henry and then to Jeremy./p  
p dir="ltr""So... this might be a little sudden and some might even say crazy. But... I can't deny that I've found someone who has made me happier than I could have ever imagined." He looked back to me before he pushed his chair put to stand up. I heard Sara gasp softly and I looked over to see everyone else smiling like idiots. When I looked back towards Laszlo my heart skipped a beat when I saw him kneeling on one knee next to me. "So... Aurora Perish... Will you marry me?" He asked and I was absolutely speechless. I couldn't believe that the man I love was actually proposing to me right here and right now. "Yes! Yes, of course I'll marry you." I said as happy tears filled my eyes. He slipped a beautiful engagement ring on my finger, one I hadn't even realized he had until then. It wasn't extremely fancy, but then he knew I wouldn't have wanted anything fancy. Everyone congratulated us as they clapped and cheered. As soon as everyone had settled down and Laszlo was back in seat, I decided to tell them what I had been wanting to tell. br /"Laszlo, I... I'm sure you've probably caught on to a certain morning routine over the past couple of weeks." I started, and a knowing look filled his eyes. "Yes, I have. But that's not why I decided to marry you, Aurora." He replied. "I know." I said with a small smile. "What are you talking about?" John asked with a dumbfounded look on his face. Sara gasped once more and the Isaacson brothers grinning, apparently understand what was being said. "Guys... Laszlo is going to be a father." I said. John smiled like a goofball just as Stevie and Cyrus did. But my brother and Jeremy had their mouths open in shock. Their surprised expressions soon faded as their minds processed the information that they just received. "I'm going to be an uncle? I'm going to be an uncle!" Henry said happily. Jeremy voiced his congratulations with a smile on his face. Marcus said he couldn't wait to meet the little boy or girl and the others agreed./p  
p dir="ltr""I never thought I'd have children of my own, but... I guess I was wrong. In this particular situation... I glad I was." Laszlo said as he moved closer to me and placed one of his large hands on my stomach. That sweet gesture made me blush and gave me butterflies. Especially when he kissed my lips. The whole room was full of love. In that moment I was glad that I had decided to take that housekeeping interview, because if I hadn't then none of this would have happened. I wouldn't have found my new family. Everyone helped clean up before we started opening presents. Laszlo and I sat next to each other holding hands and blushing when our friends mentioned how cute we are together. Life couldn't have been any sweeter./p  
p dir="ltr"strong++++++++++++++++/strongbr /strongThanks for reading! I really hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!/strong/p 


End file.
